A new era in the fight against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the effectiveness of deforestation policies in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2011. It argues that while command-and-control measures successfully reduced deforestation among large landowners, they are less effective for smallholders and in remote areas, necessitating a shift toward incentive-based and tailored strategies.

• Brazil achieved a significant reduction in Amazon deforestation from 2004 to 2012, with an 83% decrease in the annual rate. This was driven by government initiatives like the Action Plan for the Protection and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm), the creation of conservation areas, and private-sector moratoriums on soy and beef from illegally deforested land.
• Deforestation policies have been more effective for large landowners than for smallholders or those in remote regions. Annual deforestation rates fell by 80% and 81% in areas dominated by large and very large landowners, respectively, compared to a 73% drop for smallholders and a 65% drop for medium-size properties.
• Contrary to some claims, smallholders (properties under 100 ha) are not the primary drivers of deforestation. Between 2004 and 2011, smallholders contributed only 12% of total deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, while properties larger than 500 hectares accounted for nearly half (47%) of the total.
• Forests in smallholder-dominated areas are generally in better ecological condition, exhibiting lower levels of fragmentation and degradation from fire and logging. This is attributed to different production strategies, such as small-scale farming with fallow periods, compared to the mechanized agriculture used on larger properties.
• The share of deforestation in remote regions of the Brazilian Amazon rose from 18.2% in 2004 to 22.6% in 2011. This shift occurred because enforcement efforts focused on specific 'hotspots' of the deforestation frontier, leaving remote areas with less attention.
• Current monitoring systems are struggling to detect a growing trend of deforestation occurring in smaller, dispersed patches. The document recommends adopting higher-resolution, radar-based sensors that can provide near real-time alerts and are not obstructed by cloud cover.
• The brief recommends a transition from purely punitive command-and-control measures to incentive-based policies, such as conditional credit lines, payments-for-ecosystem-services, and preferential market access, particularly to support smallholders who may lack the means to comply with regulations.

APA

Gardner, T. A., & Godar, J. (2014). A new era in the fight against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2014-Amazon-deforestation.pdf

Chicago

Gardner, Toby A., and Javier Godar. A new era in the fight against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2014-Amazon-deforestation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gardner |first1=Toby A. |last2=Godar |first2=Javier |title=A new era in the fight against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2014-Amazon-deforestation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gardner2014new, author = {Gardner, Toby A. and Godar, Javier}, title = {{A new era in the fight against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PB-2014-Amazon-deforestation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }