Minister: “Landowner must be compensated for preservation”

In an interview with BBC Brazil’s service, the Minister of the Environment declared that his priority is to attract foreign investors to the Amazon to increase economic activity in the region, including payment for environmental services. He said that the road to reduce illegal deforestation starts by creating economic opportunities for people that live in forest areas. The interview happened as Minister Salles attended a preparatory meeting to the G20 in Osaka. “It’s a way to tell the world that we are preserving but we need to be compensated for it. Brazilian agriculture produces with respect and needs to be compensated for that. Private landowners that keep their legal reserve must be compensated for that and paid extra in case he goes beyond the minimum established by the Forest Code”. He once again reiterated that, despite welcoming the resources of Fundo Amazônia, it’s upon Brazil to choose and define what are the adequate and necessary environmental policies and practises.

On April 11th, Bolsonaro tried to change rules for participation in the Amazon Fund, excluding members of NGOs and civil society. On June 5th, embassies from Germany and Norway wrote letters to the government taking a stand against the measure and said that “the government alone will not be able to achieve deforestation reduction”. Both parties have since been in negotiation.