Apib and Rede Cerrado lead action in the Netherlands, France and Belgium so that non-forest areas, such as the biome, are included in European regulation against deforestation
From March 10th to 22nd, a delegation led by the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib, in Portuguese) and Rede Cerrado – a network of cooperatives – will hold a political advocacy action in three European capitals, with the aim of defending the inclusion of non-forest ecosystems (Other Wooded Lands) in the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which seeks to prevent the import of commodities that are related to deforestation. The Population and Nature Society Institute (ISPN, in Portuguese) and WWF-Brazil also take part in the delegation.
Currently, the EUDR recognises deforestation only as the conversion of forests, which excludes from its scope vast expanses of natural landscapes such as savannas and grasslands. This exclusion represents a contradiction, considering the goals of the regulation, since most of the deforestation associated with the production of commodities in Brazil destined for the European market occurs in non-forest areas, mainly in the Brazilian Cerrado.
Data indicates that more than 80% of deforestation ‘imported’ to the European Union is concentrated in six commodities, notably soy and beef, which are particularly harmful to the Cerrado biome. However, current European legislation only considers products originating mainly from the Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest to be subjected to inspection, leaving other biomes vulnerable to destruction.
Another relevant point is that without the inclusion of non-forest arboreal ecosystems, the European regulation only protects 26% of the Cerrado and fails to meet the main goal of eliminating deforestation of products imported by the EU. This is because the highest concentration of environmental degradation in commodities imported by Europe is associated with soy produced in the Cerrado, which contributed to a 35% increase in the biome’s deforestation rate registered in the last two years (16,437 km²).
“The Cerrado is the biome most impacted by European consumption, with emphasis on deforestation caused by soy and cattle farming. Therefore, we believe that the European Commission needs to carry out impact studies and review, as soon as possible, the scope of regulation, expanding it to include non-forest ecosystems”, says the general coordinator of Rede Cerrado, Lourdes Nascimento.
APIB and Rede Cerrado have warned of gaps in regulation, which prevent the effective protection of Indigenous Peoples and other Traditional Peoples and Communities in Brazilian biomes. Increased conservation measures in the Amazon have shifted deforestation to the Cerrado, resulting in an alarming 43% increase in the biome’s deforestation rate in 2023, while the Amazon recorded a 50% drop in the same period.
“We consider the regulation to be positive and an advance in the adoption of traceability systems in the commodity supply chain, being an additional mechanism for protecting our biomes and our territorial rights. However, if the regulation is not applied in equal measure to all biomes (Cerrado, Caatinga, Pantanal, Pampas and Coastal Biome), we will have an effect contrary to that expected by the European Union, as the EUDR will contribute to an even greater pressure on deforestation in non-forest biomes, also increasing the violence experienced in indigenous territories that are not located in the Amazon or the Atlantic Rainforest”, explains Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of Apib.
Faced with this urgency, Apib and Rede Cerrado, with the collaboration of ISPN and WWF-Brazil, call on European authorities to consider the serious situation of increased deforestation in the Cerrado and to review the regulation in order to include all Brazilian biomes. Protecting biomes and Traditional and Indigenous Peoples is essential to effectively reduce deforestation and promote sustainable practices.
The inclusion of the Cerrado in European Union regulation is a crucial step towards comprehensively addressing the environmental threats faced by this biome and all others that depend on it. Apib and Rede Cerrado are committed to ensuring that the protection of Brazilian biomes is a priority on the global environmental conservation agenda.
Since 2020, when the European Parliament approved the regulation that bans the entry of commodities produced in deforested areas, the organisations involved in this initiative have argued that the proposed regulation presents loopholes that prevent the effective protection of Indigenous Peoples and other Traditional Communities in the face of pressure from production of commodities in different areas of the country.
Why does the Cerrado matter?
The Cerrado, vital for biodiversity and climate stability, faces increasing deforestation. This biome, recognised for its richness in species and its contribution to Brazil’s water resources, is under threat. The European Union has a crucial role to play in protecting the Cerrado, but its current regulation requires urgent review to include all Brazilian biomes.
The urgency of protecting the Cerrado in European Union regulation
Rampant deforestation in the Cerrado is getting worse: the law against the import of products of forestry risk origin in Europe needs to cover all biomes in Brazil. The European Union regulation against deforestation needs to expand its application beyond the definition of forest to stop the displacement of deforestation and the conversion of native vegetation in Brazil.
We defend the protection of all biomes
Apib and Rede Cerrado have been following the construction of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) since 2020. Since before its approval, the two institutions have argued that its text presents some loopholes that prevent the effective protection of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities in the face of pressure from commodity production in several areas of the country, which also affects the global climate balance.
Impact of deforestation and the need for immediate action
The increase in preservation and inspection measures in the Amazon has caused agribusiness to move its production to other areas of Brazil, such as the Cerrado. Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows an alarming 43% increase in Cerrado deforestation in 2023, while the Amazon recorded a 50% drop in the same period.
The need for comprehensive regulation
The law against the import of forestry risk products, proposed in 2012, and approved in 2023, by the European Parliament, requires urgent review. Currently, the definition of forest excludes vast areas of Brazilian biomes, leaving them unprotected.
It is crucial to protect the Cerrado and the Peoples and Communities who live in it
Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities in Brazil suffer from the illegal invasion of their lands, and from the violence and environmental degradation caused by the production of commodities. It is essential that the European Union regulation protects all biomes and the people and communities who live in them, to effectively reduce deforestation and promote sustainable practices.
We want to urge immediate action
Apib and Rede Cerrado call on the European Parliament to consider the catastrophic situation of increased deforestation in the Cerrado biome and to review the regulation to include all biomes and to protect Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities in Brazil.
Press Information:
Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib)
Karina Melo
APIB International Coordinator
+55 11 95296-9032
[email protected]
Rede Cerrado
Lillian Bento
Communications Advisor at Rede Cerrado
+55 61 99252 1518
[email protected]
ISPN
Letícia Verdi
ISPN Press Officer
+55 61 98628 7879
WWF-Brazil – AViV Comunicação (Press Office)
Rita Silva – [email protected]
Sandra Miyashiro – [email protected]