WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE?

This executive summary provides a 2021 snapshot of the implementation of Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (Forest Code), specifically focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). While property registration is well-advanced nationwide, the report identifies significant bottlenecks in the analysis and validation of these registrations and a lack of producer interest in joining the PRA, leaving the final stage of environmental regularization as a major challenge across most states.

• The registration of rural properties in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) is well-advanced across all Brazilian states, with notable growth in Roraima, which doubled its registrations in the last year. However, traditional peoples and communities in states such as Amazonas, Bahia, Maranhão, Pará, Pernambuco, and Piauí still require specific programs to advance their registration.
• The analysis and validation of CAR data represent the primary bottleneck in the Forest Code's implementation. While Espírito Santo has validated approximately 72% of its registrations (around 73,000), other states struggle with low validation numbers; for example, Alagoas, Distrito Federal, Goiás, and Santa Catarina have validated between one and 100 entries.
• The 'dynamic analysis' tool, which automatically checks data and proposes corrections, was implemented by the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) in Amapá, Amazonas, Federal District, Paraná, and Rio de Janeiro. In Amapá, the first state to use it, the tool processed around 2,000 registrations (25% of the state's total), with 1,800 receiving automatic corrections.
• Full operationalization of the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA) is limited to six states: Acre, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, and Pará. In other states, a lack of regulation prevents progress; nine states specifically lag in building a legal framework for regularization, including Alagoas, Espírito Santo, Paraíba, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, Sergipe, and Tocantins.
• There is a significant gap between CAR validation and the signing of commitment agreements for the recovery of Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Forest Reserves. In Rondônia, only 5% of validated non-compliant registrations have signed terms, while in Mato Grosso and Pará, the figure is 20%, and in Acre, it is approximately 60%.
• Financial incentives are being used to encourage CAR validation, such as the 2020/21 Agriculture Plan (Plano Safra), which increases the credit limit by 10% for producers with validated CAR. Additionally, the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB) issued Resolution no. 140/2021 to integrate sustainability dimensions into rural credit allocation.
• Implementation is hindered by legal uncertainty and pending court decisions, including disputes over the Atlantic Forest Law and the legality of São Paulo's regulation of Article 68 of the Forest Code. Furthermore, proposed legislative changes, such as Legislative Bill (PL) 36/2021, threaten to delay progress by requiring the revision of state rules.

APA

Chiavari, J., Lopes, C. L., & de Araujo, J. N. (2021). WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SUM-EX-Onde-Estamos-2021_EN.pdf

Chicago

Chiavari, Joana, Cristina Leme Lopes, and Julia Nardi de Araujo. WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? Climate Policy Initiative, 2021. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SUM-EX-Onde-Estamos-2021_EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chiavari |first1=Joana |last2=Lopes |first2=Cristina Leme |last3=de Araujo |first3=Julia Nardi |title=WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=2021 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SUM-EX-Onde-Estamos-2021_EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chiavari2021where, author = {Chiavari, Joana and Lopes, Cristina Leme and de Araujo, Julia Nardi}, title = {{WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE?}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SUM-EX-Onde-Estamos-2021_EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }