Market incentives for environmental law compliance in Mato Grosso: opportunities and limitations to environmental certification of soy and meat in the Amazon.
Oriana
T
Almeida, IPAM, oriana@ipam.org.br
(Presenting)
Daniel
Curtis
Nepstad, WHRC, dnepstad@whrc.org
Deforestation has increased dramatically in recent years in the state of Mato Grosso, where soil, climate, and infra-structure make ranching and soy production highly competitive. One of the most complex and strict environmental legislations for rural landholders is the Brazilian codigo florestal for the Amazon. Since 1995, this law requires the maintenance of 80% of the forest on rural properties. Most private owners argue that the law makes productive activities unviable and generally the law is not respected. Although there is this conflict between the possible returns of economic activity and the compliance of the environmental legislation, some producers from the state of Mato Grosso have advanced a new proposal to certify meat and soy. The present work analysed the steps proposed in this new initiative by the private owner, the impact of the environmental law on the economic activity and how the private sectors propose to comply with�and go beyond�environmental legislation.