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This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of Brazil's ABC Recuperação credit line in recovering degraded pastures, focusing on the Cerrado biome. Using satellite imagery and econometric analysis of operations between 2016 and 2018, the study finds that the credit's impact on pasture recovery is modest, with severe degradation remaining largely unchanged and some pasture being converted to crops rather than recovered. The report highlights the critical role of technical assistance and soil type in achieving results and suggests that the program contributed minimally to the ABC Plan's 2020 recovery targets.

An evaluation of Brazil's ABC Recuperação credit line in the Cerrado biome found that the program has had minimal impact on recovering degraded pastures and failed to significantly improve pasture quality. While technical assistance was linked to a 6 percentage point reduction in degraded areas, the overall program contributed only 2.5% toward the 2020 recovery target. The study also found evidence of deforestation occurring prior to credit issuance and recommends strengthening monitoring, improving pre-credit eligibility evaluations, and combining credit with risk management and technical assistance.