BVRio promotes new solutions for the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code
The event Forest Code +10, organised by the Forest Code Observatory (OCF) between May 23 and June 2, marked the tenth anniversary of the law protecting native vegetation in Brazil. The event was attended by more than 6,000 people, who participated in online workshops and roundtables, face-to-face meetings and launches of instruments and initiatives, including solutions developed by BVRio in partnership with other organisations.
BVRio’s Directors, Pedro Moura Costa and Maurício Moura Costa, introduced nature-based solutions and environmental finance proposals to fully implement the Brazilian Forest Code. “We continue fulfilling our mission to develop market mechanisms to facilitate compliance with environmental laws,” said Pedro.
Pedro explained in his speech, on 30 May, that BVRio has been developing the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF), a green bond-funded initiative to provide financial incentives for soy rural producers that commit to zero deforestation in the Cerrado Region.
Pedro also mentioned that BVRio will soon launch its SIMFlor programme, an initiative to facilitate the implementation of the Forest Code through the acquisition of Legal Reserves Credits (CRA) to preserve their surplus legal reserves in private landholdings in the Amazon. “The programme has already secured an investment of around 200 million dollars, and should engage hundreds of rural landowners in the Amazon”, he said.
In the main panel of the event, on 25 May, Maurício Moura Costa introduced PlanaFlor, a strategic plan for the Forest Code implementation. “A compelling and comprehensive legislation, with impacts on various dimensions of the Brazilian territory, economic implications on agricultural production and the environment, and it is missing a robust plan on how to implement it”, he pondered.
Mauricio said the rationale behind the development of PlanaFlor followed the first article of the Forest Code: to promote sustainable development. Conceived by BVRio, its activities started in mid-2021 in collaboration with other organisations to carry out in-depth work and prepare a provisional framework for the plan. The next stage, expected to take place in July, will be to hold consultation workshops with key stakeholders, representing different sectors, to identify gaps and validate a final document to submit to the candidates for the federal and state government elections in Brazil happening in October, and then continue this engagement process with the elected governments next year.
More about BVRio’s participation in the CF+10 event
In addition to these announcements, BVRio held the ‘(Un)Covering the Forest Code’ workshop on 23 May, which offered an expert insight from a team of specialists to journalists and media professionals on how to cover the Forest Code and the paths to gathering relevant information. Altogether, over 600 people have viewed the recording, available to watch on YouTube, and 120 people participated in the live stream.
Director of Forests and Public Policies, Beto Mesquita, was one of the speakers and highlighted three key points about the role of the media in covering the Code: translating the various acronyms and technical terms present in the text of the legislation; making the connection between environmental disasters and everyday events with the lack of compliance with the Forest Code, such as problems related to water shortages, landslides, floods, etc.; and demystifying false ideas that delay its compliance, such as the myth that the law hinders the agribusiness development.
“When we look at the Forest Code as an opportunity to guarantee the natural capital on which one of the main economic segments of the country, agribusiness, is dependent, we realise that without the forests, without the natural ecosystems, which are the basis of agribusiness, we would not have this vitality, even with all the technological advancement, even with all the work capacity of the Brazilian farmers, the gains in productivity and production would not be the same,” Beto highlighted.
BVRio Communications and Marketing Manager, Flávia Ribeiro, presented the case of an article published in O Globo (22 May) on BVRio’s work in the circular economy, illustrating the importance of addressing the social, environmental and economic aspects in the construction of good news agendas. On 24 May, Flávia was also the moderator of a session that launched instruments for the effective implementation of the Forest Code, with the participation of Dr Roberta del Giudice, Executive Secretary of the OCF.
On 25 May, BVRio was also represented in a meeting in Rio de Janeiro’s Prosecutor’s Office, to discuss with public prosecutors from several states, representatives of civil society and environmental agencies the main disagreements and the instruments of the Forest Code, in order to define proposals to collaborate with the implementation of this law.
“We had high-level discussions about the disagreements, obstacles and proposals for the effective and, already late, implementation of the main Brazilian forest law. It was clear that even 10 years after its promulgation, there are still numerous challenges that need to be addressed as a priority by governments with the support of society. The idea is to consolidate the proposals made during the meeting to help the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code objectively”, said BVRio Legal Manager, Daniela Pires e Albuquerque.
