Partnerships for innovation: protecting tropical forests

Project description

Title: Partnerships for Innovation to Protect the Tropical Forest in the Amazon
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Brazil
Lead executing agency: Ministry of the Environment (MMA)
Overall term: 2020 to 2023

Context

The rainforest in the Amazon region is rapidly disappearing – largely as a result of expanding agriculture. Advancing deforestation is releasing greenhouse gases, reducing biodiversity and destroying the settlement areas of traditional population groups. As its contribution to the Paris Agreement, Brazil has therefore set itself the goal of halting illegal deforestation by 2030 and reducing CO2 emissions from agriculture. It also aims to make agricultural production more sustainable and promote traceable supply chains.

The country has created strict environmental laws, but they are not effectively enforced. There is therefore a need for better coordination by the controlling institutions and for innovative solutions to provide control, sanction and incentive mechanisms.

Objective

Competent authorities are introducing proven innovations for the prevention and control of deforestation in the Amazon.

Approach

New concepts, ideas and technologies for effective control and incentive systems are designed to facilitate cooperation between government authorities in different sectors. The project is introducing successfully tested and evaluated innovations on a large scale – while taking human rights and gender equality into account. To achieve this, it is involving traditional Amazonian population groups and communities, small and medium-sized farming businesses and stakeholders in agricultural supply chains. The aim is to improve the income and living conditions of those involved through longer-term production and better marketing of local products.

The project is working together with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, as well as with federal and regional stakeholders and private enterprise at all stages in the supply chain. To this end, it is building partnerships between the participant organisations. This improved cooperation is helping efforts to introduce innovations for the prevention and control of deforestation and to establish sustainable supply chains.

Last update: July 2021