Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the complexities of governing sustainability in tropical agricultural-forest frontiers, using the Brazilian Amazon as a primary case study. It argues that the high diversity of actors—ranging from subsistence smallholders to large-scale commercial farms—requires tailored, actor-specific policy approaches rather than 'one-size-fits-all' models to effectively reduce deforestation and alleviate poverty.

• Agricultural-forest frontiers are characterized by high rates of forest clearance, socio-economic fluidity, and a diverse mix of actors, often operating with weak government presence and uncertain land tenure. These regions are frequently occupied by 'novel societies' where new institutions and power structures emerge among actors with vastly different interests, values, and access to capital.
• In the Brazilian Amazon, 'early frontier' regions (over 50% forest cover and >1% annual deforestation) exhibit significantly worse development conditions for smallholder farmers compared to 'post-frontier' regions. These deficiencies include lower rates of land titles, primary education, electricity access, and access to agricultural credit.
• The expansion of high-yielding land uses, particularly soy, in the Brazilian Amazon has contributed to increased inequality and the marginalization or displacement of smallholders. Furthermore, uncertain land tenure can lead to 'contentious or perverse land change,' where claimants engage in preemptive deforestation to demonstrate ownership.
• Blanket deforestation policies in Brazil have seen varying success across different actor groups; while overall deforestation fell by 83% between 2004 and 2011, the decrease was more pronounced for the largest properties (>2500 ha) at 81%, compared to 73% and 65% for small and medium properties.
• Effective sustainability governance requires actor-tailored policies that move away from 'one-size-fits-all' models. Examples of such tailored approaches in Brazil include the 2012 Federal Forest Code revisions providing exemptions for smallholders, and the Food Acquisition Programme (PAA) and National School Feeding Programme (PNAE), which prioritize purchases from family farms.
• Collective action among diverse stakeholders can lead to significant environmental gains, as demonstrated in Paragominas, Pará. A zero-deforestation pact involving the mayor's office, various farmers' and timber unions, and NGOs allowed the municipality to become the first to exit the federal government's 'Red List' of high-deforestation municipalities in 2010.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2014-Agriculture-forest-frontier-landscapes.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2014-Agriculture-forest-frontier-landscapes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2014-Agriculture-forest-frontier-landscapes.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014governing, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2014-Agriculture-forest-frontier-landscapes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }