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This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the impact of rural credit on Brazilian agriculture and the environment. Using data from 2002 to 2015, the study finds that increased rural credit significantly boosts agricultural productivity and municipal GDP while promoting a shift from low-productivity pasture to agricultural crops, which in turn supports the expansion of forest areas.

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) examines the challenges of implementing sustainable palm oil production along a commodity chain stretching from Riau Province, Indonesia, to the European Union. Based on 20 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions, the study evaluates why voluntary private-sector initiatives, such as 'No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation' (NDPE) policies, have seen limited success in improving sustainability or increasing the market share of sustainable commodities.

This briefing describes SEI-PCS, a modeling approach developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) to provide fine-scale subnational data on the origins of traded commodities and their associated socio-environmental impacts. The tool is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional footprinting methods, which typically rely on country-level macroeconomic figures, by recreating supply chains to link consumption to specific production sites.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines financial and policy reforms needed to align Brazil's agricultural production with environmental conservation. It proposes a transition from a public-sector-dominated rural credit system toward one that incentivizes Forest Code compliance, increases private bank participation, and utilizes risk management tools like insurance and derivatives.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative argues that strengthening command and control mechanisms, specifically through technological innovation in monitoring and law enforcement, is essential to combating illegal deforestation in Brazil. It highlights the success of the DETER system in the Amazon and proposes expanding these capabilities to other biomes and smaller-scale deforestation.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative argues that strengthening environmental command and control—specifically through technological monitoring and law enforcement—is essential for Brazil to combat illegal deforestation, protect its native vegetation, and maintain its international agribusiness competitiveness.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative recommends aligning Brazil's Rural Credit policy with the Forest Code to incentivize environmental conservation and agricultural productivity without requiring additional treasury funds.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes aligning Brazil's rural credit system with the 2012 Forest Code to incentivize environmental conservation and agricultural productivity. The authors recommend increasing credit limits for producers who comply with environmental laws, arguing that such a policy can be implemented without additional costs to the National Treasury by redirecting existing funds toward the provision of public goods.

This report by the World Resources Institute argues that securing community land rights is a cost-effective strategy for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and mitigating climate change. It highlights the gap between the amount of land inhabited by indigenous and rural communities and the amount legally recognized by national governments, warning that this insecurity leads to deforestation and poverty. The document advocates for legal reforms, simplified formalization procedures, and a more equitable playing field between communities and corporate interests to protect global carbon sinks and biodiversity.

The report "Authorized to Steal" by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) investigates how organized crime networks in Peru use official documentation to launder illegally harvested timber from the Amazon. Analyzing 1,024 Forest Transport Permits (GTFs) from 2017, the report details the collusion between forestry regents, public officials, and private businesspeople to bypass regulations, specifically in the Loreto and Ucayali regions.

This 2019 report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) exposes how organized crime networks, including 34 public officials and forest regents, use fraudulent official documentation to launder illegal timber from the Peruvian Amazon. Analyzing 1,024 transport guides from 2017, the report finds that a vast majority of timber from local forests and private estates is high-risk, and that systemic failures in the Peruvian legal and administrative systems allow these crimes to persist with impunity.

An executive summary of the 2020 NYDF Assessment Report, which evaluates progress toward the goals of the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) regarding tropical deforestation and landscape restoration.

This executive summary describes the PRINCE project, a three-year research initiative led by Statistics Sweden and commissioned by Naturvårdsverket and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The project developed a hybrid modeling approach combining Swedish environmental-economic data with the EXIOBASE multiregional input-output (MRIO) model to estimate the environmental pressures associated with Swedish consumption both domestically and abroad. This framework was specifically designed to monitor Sweden's 'Generational Goal,' which aims to solve domestic environmental problems without increasing impacts outside Sweden's borders.

This technical report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the intersection of rural credit and environmental protection in Brazil. It argues that while Brazil has successfully modernized its agriculture and reduced deforestation, the current financial system is overly complex, dominated by public banks, and lacks sufficient risk management tools. The authors propose a phased transition to align financial incentives with the 2012 Forest Code, increase private sector participation, and shift public subsidies toward the provision of public goods and insurance instruments.

An open statement by Friends of the Earth International and the World Rainforest Movement, signed by over 100 organizations, denouncing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction in the industrial palm oil sector over 14 years.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International and the World Rainforest Movement, signed by over 100 organizations, denouncing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction over 14 years of operation.

A statement signed by over 100 organizations criticizing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction over 14 years. The document argues that the RSPO serves as a 'greenwashing' tool for the industrial palm oil sector, masking human rights violations and deforestation while facilitating the industry's expansion.

A case study on the Bolsa Floresta ("Forest Allowance") Programme in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, a payment for ecosystems services (PES) scheme that combines community investments and cash payments to conserve rainforests and improve local livelihoods.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative and SITAWI examines the potential for green bonds to finance sustainable agriculture in Brazil. While Brazil is a global agricultural powerhouse with established government credit programs, green bond issuance in the land-use sector has been dominated by the forestry industry. The document identifies barriers for small producers and suggests that securitization of agricultural receivables (CRAs) and bank-led green bonds could expand financing for eco-efficiency, soil health, and sustainable crop production.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative and SITAWI examines the potential for green bonds to finance sustainable agriculture in Brazil. While Brazil is a global agricultural powerhouse with significant climate goals, green bond issuance in the sector has been largely limited to forestry and paper. The document identifies barriers to sustainable financing—particularly for small-scale producers—and suggests that aggregating small loans through securitization (such as green CRAs) and leveraging international capital markets could scale up investment in low-carbon agricultural technologies and practices.