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This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the potential for increasing cattle productivity in the Legal Amazon. It finds that current livestock production is homogeneously low-productivity and extensive, meaning that simply disseminating existing local best practices would only yield modest gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and a crackdown on land grabbing and illegal deforestation.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio analyzes the productivity of livestock farming in the Legal Amazon. It finds that the region is dominated by a homogeneous, low-productivity extensive business model, meaning that simply scaling existing local best practices would yield limited gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and the combatting of land grabbing (grilagem).

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2007 and 2016, defining it as the partial loss of forest biomass. The study finds that degradation is more widespread than clear-cutting deforestation and often serves as a precursor to it, though this relationship varies significantly by land tenure category. The authors argue that forest degradation is currently under-prioritized in public policy and should be used as an indicator for imminent environmental damage to better allocate conservation resources.

This 2021 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) provides a comprehensive analysis of the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states. It focuses on the progress of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA), identifying significant bottlenecks in the analysis and validation of registries and the low rate of producer adherence to regularization programs. The report highlights disparities between states, noting that while registration is advanced nationwide, the transition to actual environmental recovery remains a major challenge.

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.

This 2020 report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio monitors the state-level implementation of Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (Forest Code), specifically focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It identifies the analysis and validation of CAR registrations as the primary bottleneck and notes that while some states have made progress, many lack operational PRAs and sufficient normative frameworks for forest restoration.

This whitepaper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) argues that current environmental assessments for transportation infrastructure in the Amazon fail to account for indirect effects, leading to an underestimation of ecological footprints. The authors propose a 'market access' approach using geoprocessing and statistical analysis to better quantify how reduced transport costs drive deforestation and agricultural expansion far beyond the immediate project site.

This whitepaper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) argues that current environmental and technical feasibility studies for transport infrastructure in the Amazon fail to account for indirect effects, specifically how reduced transport costs induce deforestation far from the project site. The authors propose a 'market access' approach using geoprocessing and statistical analysis to better quantify these risks and recommend that these methodologies be integrated into official project evaluations to avoid underestimating environmental costs.

The Ferrogrão (EF-170) railroad is a proposed 930 km project in Brazil designed to reduce soy export costs and emissions, but it faces significant environmental risks and legal challenges due to its path through the Amazon rainforest. Despite a potential delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project remains a priority for government-led economic recovery, even as global investment trends shift toward stricter sustainable standards.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the planning, governance, and environmental risks of the EF-170 railway (Ferrogrão) in Brazil. The document identifies significant fragilities in the project's economic modeling, socio-environmental assessments, and administrative transparency, warning that without mitigation, the project could induce substantial deforestation in Mato Grosso.

The report evaluates agricultural risk management in Brazil, finding that while the insurance market has grown, it remains highly concentrated and underfunded compared to rural credit. It highlights that nearly 60% of municipalities lack insurance and suggests redirecting public funds from credit to insurance and expanding the use of Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (ZARC) to improve productivity and land use.

This technical note by Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) argues for clearer definitions and more transparent methodologies in delimiting the 'area of influence' for land transportation infrastructure projects in Brazil. The authors contend that current practices often confuse the conceptual definition of the area of influence with the parameters used for its physical delimitation, leading to inconsistent assessments of socio-economic and environmental impacts.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) provides an ex-ante assessment of the environmental risks associated with the construction of the EF-170 Ferrogrão railway in Brazil. Using a market access approach, the researchers project that without mitigation measures, the railway will induce significant deforestation in Mato Grosso, leading to substantial carbon emissions and associated economic costs.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio evaluates the projected environmental risks of the EF-170 Ferrogrão railroad project in Brazil. Using a market access approach, the researchers estimate that the railroad will significantly increase deforestation in Mato Grosso by improving market access for farmers and ranchers, leading to substantial carbon emissions and associated social costs.

This 2020 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It identifies significant disparities in progress, noting that while CAR registration is widespread, the analysis and validation phase remains a critical bottleneck. The report details state-level regulations for restoring Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserves (RL), the role of the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) in providing technological infrastructure, and the legal uncertainties surrounding the potential implementation of a Federal PRA.

This report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires as a result of corporate power and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. It argues that the MercoSur-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will accelerate deforestation, violate the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and reinforce Brazil's neo-colonial dependence by prioritizing the profits of transnational corporations over environmental and human rights.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that the destruction of the Amazon, specifically the 2019 fires, is a result of corporate power and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. It contends that the Free Trade Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) will accelerate this process by increasing demand for raw materials, facilitating land appropriation, and strengthening a 'corporate impunity' architecture that protects transnational companies while violating the rights of indigenous and traditional peoples.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It evaluates state-level regulations, the progress of CAR validation, and the operational status of PRAs, highlighting significant regional disparities in progress and the technical challenges facing state environmental agencies.

This technical annex assesses progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 2, which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity production (palm oil, soy, paper, and beef) by 2020. The report finds that current efforts by governments and companies are insufficient to meet this target, noting a stagnation in new corporate commitments and significant gaps in reporting, transparency, and the inclusion of indirect suppliers.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the adoption dynamics of three agricultural technologies in Brazil between 2006 and 2017: no-till farming (Plantio Direto), tractors, and fertilizers. Using data from the 2017 Agricultural Census, the study identifies three distinct spatial patterns of adoption, suggesting that the drivers and environmental consequences of agricultural intensification vary by technology.