Close Menu
  • Last News
    • Cities
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Impact
    • Markets
    • Opinions
    • Policy
    • Reports
    • Research
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of Millie, the 30-year-old tortoiseshell cat, enjoying a special cream cake on her birthday, generated by artificial intelligence.
“Bottled Water Saved Her Life”: World’s Oldest Cat Millie Thrives at Age 30 by Drinking Only Premium Water, Stunning Veterinarians Everywhere
Illustration of the hidden corridor discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza, generated by artificial intelligence.
“These Hidden Passages Change Everything”: Stunned Archaeologists Unveil Secret Corridor Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, Shaking History to Its Core
Illustration of Kenyan trees converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, generated by artificial intelligence.
“These Trees Turn CO2 Into Stone”: Amazed Scientists Hail Kenya’s One-of-a-Kind Forest as the Ultimate Breakthrough Against Climate Change
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
Sustainability Times
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
Subscribe
  • Featured
  • Cities
    Illustration of Toronto's urban forest transformation with natural wetlands and diverse wildlife. Image generated by AI.

    Toronto’s Stunning Green Revolution Turns Canada’s Largest Metropolis Into a Vast Urban Forest Visible From Space

    July 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
    Illustration of Downtown Residences skyscraper in Dubai's Business Bay area. Image generated by AI.

    “Tallest Home in the Sky”: Dubai’s 1,500-Foot Residential Tower Set to Shatter Records and Completely Transform the Urban Skyline

    June 14, 2025 at 4:11 PM
    Illustration of Egypt's ambitious Jirian urban development project featuring an artificial Nile canal. Image generated by AI.

    “Egypt’s Visionary Project Unveiled”: Skyscrapers Rising Amidst the Desert and Beside the Pyramids as Revolutionary New City Takes Shape

    June 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM
    Illustration of Saudi Arabia's futuristic Line project stretching across the desert. Image generated by AI.

    “Saudi Mega-Skyscraper Turns Deadly”: This 105-Mile Structure Threatens to Annihilate Migratory Birds on a Catastrophic Scale

    June 10, 2025 at 10:10 AM
    Illustration of Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi flying over Los Angeles during the 2028 Olympics. Image generated by AI.

    Flying Over LA Gridlock: These American Air Taxis Promise a Spectacular Debut During the 2028 Olympic Games

    May 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
  • Climate
    Illustration of Kenyan trees converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Trees Turn CO2 Into Stone”: Amazed Scientists Hail Kenya’s One-of-a-Kind Forest as the Ultimate Breakthrough Against Climate Change

    July 12, 2025 at 3:55 PM
    Illustration of individuals attempting to cool down during a heatwave by drinking icy beverages, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Scientists Warn Everyone Makes This Deadly Heat Mistake”: Proven Ineffective Cooling Habit Spreads Every Summer, Endangering Lives Across America

    July 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
    Illustration of the Birdhouse Modular tiny house design, highlighting its flexible and eco-friendly features, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Modular Tiny House Totally Changed My Life”: Birdhouse’s Revolutionary Design Delivers Ultimate Flexibility and Style for Modern Small-Space Living

    July 10, 2025 at 9:47 AM
    Illustration of Dyson's vertical farming operation with advanced technology in a 26-acre glasshouse, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Said It Was Impossible—Now Robots Grow 1.2 Million Strawberries a Year”: Inside Dyson’s Sci-Fi Mega-Farm Shocking the Entire Agriculture Industry

    July 10, 2025 at 6:14 AM

    Ovik Mkrtchyan on Integrating Green Thinking into Emerging Economies

    July 10, 2025 at 5:23 AM
  • Energy
    Illustration of a futuristic clay membrane technology extracting lithium from seawater, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Unbelievable Clay Membranes Are Pulling Lithium Fortunes Out of Thin Water,” Roars Shocked Scientist as Global Battery Race Goes Into Overdrive

    July 11, 2025 at 8:52 AM
    Illustration of the Blue Marlin, the world's first inland vessel using solar power for propulsion, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “This Solar Ship Is the Future of River Travel,” Declares Visionary Engineer as 192 Sun-Powered Panels Drive the World’s First Inland Marvel

    July 11, 2025 at 7:46 AM
    Illustration of an innovative fishery-solar hybrid farm in China combining solar panels with aquaculture, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Jaw-Dropping 370,000 Solar Panels Are Transforming Chinese Fishing Forever,” Declares Global Energy Authority as Massive 250 MW Hybrid Farm Shocks Industry

    July 11, 2025 at 6:01 AM
    Illustration of the XiaoTun underwater jetpack in action, showcasing its sleek design and capabilities, as an artificial illustration.

    “Underwater Jetpack Shocked My Expectations”: XiaoTun’s $1,374 Kickstarter Device Makes High-Speed Ocean Exploration Possible for First-Time Adventurers

    July 10, 2025 at 8:46 AM
    Illustration of a Ferrari-branded eco-friendly yacht employing renewable energy technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Ferrari’s Green Revolution Stuns the Seas”: This Eco-Friendly Yacht Breaks Speed Barriers While Redefining Luxury for the Super-Rich

    July 10, 2025 at 8:12 AM
  • Impact
    Illustration of Mark Zuckerberg's luxury yacht adventure in Norway's fjords, created by artificial intelligence.

    “He Spent Millions for a Single Thrill”: Zuckerberg Crosses 5,300 Miles on Twin Superyachts, Helicopters to a Peak, and Skis Down Like No One Else

    July 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM
    Illustration of the Streetwing flying car designed by Dezső Molnár for sustainable transportation, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Flying Car Opened Up a Whole New World for Me”: Streetwing’s Daring Design Ignites the Next Chapter in Pure Personal Exploration

    July 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
    Illustration of a laser-based mosquito defense system neutralizing mosquitoes, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Terrifying Death Ray Unleashed!”: China’s Laser Mosquito Defense System Annihilates 30 Bloodthirsty Pests Every Second, Astonishing Global Scientists

    July 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
    Illustration of the AIRCAT Bengal MC, the world's most advanced autonomous naval vessel. Image generated by AI.

    “We Just Changed Naval Warfare Forever”: US Unveils World’s Most Advanced Warship With Devastating 44-Ton Payload Capacity

    July 8, 2025 at 6:09 PM

    Yueling Lai’s AlzCare App Wins 2025 Red Dot Design Award

    July 7, 2025 at 5:14 AM
  • Markets
    Illustration of a colossal 55 billion-ton iron ore deposit discovery in Western Australia. Image generated by AI.

    Worldwide Panic as Monumental Geological Find Disrupts Global Trade and Triggers Market Turmoil on Every Continent

    June 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM

    Most sources of protein in the US contain vast quantities of microplastics

    January 11, 2024 at 5:47 AM

    Banking on change: How your accounts have climate impact

    December 26, 2023 at 7:13 PM

    Sparxell’s glitter is golden with nature-based color, design

    December 19, 2023 at 9:29 PM

    Lab-grown coffee tastes pretty darn good, scientists say

    December 12, 2023 at 10:42 PM
  • Opinions
    Illustration of Millie, the 30-year-old tortoiseshell cat, enjoying a special cream cake on her birthday, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Bottled Water Saved Her Life”: World’s Oldest Cat Millie Thrives at Age 30 by Drinking Only Premium Water, Stunning Veterinarians Everywhere

    July 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
    Illustration of Mars colonization vision challenged by expert, highlighting Earth's superior habitability, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “Elon Musk, You’re Ignoring the Truth”: Astrophysicist’s Startling Claim—Earth Would Remain a Paradise Compared to Mars After Nuclear Apocalypse

    July 10, 2025 at 4:56 PM

    Smoke, Mirrors, and Smears: Inside the Campaign Against Gaurav Srivastava (Review)

    May 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM

    Nathan Law and the High Cost of Dissent: A Review of Targeted, Episode 3

    May 13, 2025 at 9:46 AM

    From charts to conversations: a real review of Hint App, The Pattern, and TimePassages

    May 13, 2025 at 5:12 AM
  • Policy
    Illustration of a legislative debate on banning octopus farming, highlighting environmental and ethical concerns, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They’re Smarter Than Dogs!”: Furious North Carolina Bill Launches All-Out War on Octopus Farming, Leaving Shocked Families and Multimillion-Dollar Businesses in Chaos

    July 9, 2025 at 5:55 AM
    Illustration of the Canadian government's decision to freeze Tesla subsidies amid legal controversy. Image generated by AI.

    “We’re Not Paying a Cent”: Canada Freezes $40 Million in Aid and Declares War on Tesla’s Controversial Operations

    July 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
    Illustration of OpenAI's efforts in regulating AI for biological safety. Image generated by AI.

    “OpenAI Pulls Emergency Brake”: This Terrifying AI Showed Signs It Could Design Real-World Biological Weapons From Scratch

    July 1, 2025 at 6:10 AM
    Illustration of China's massive underground military command center near Beijing. Image generated by AI.

    “China Builds Largest Military Hub on Earth”: Satellite Images Expose 1,000-Acre Mega-Complex With Global Strategic Implications

    June 30, 2025 at 9:55 AM
    Illustration of North Star, an AI tool designed to predict and prevent wars by simulating world leaders' decisions. Image generated by AI.

    “AI That Stops Wars”: Former Harvard Scientist Unveils Revolutionary Peace Technology Designed to Prevent Global Conflict Before It Starts

    June 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
  • Reports
    Illustration of the SABRE South Collaboration’s experimental setup for detecting dark matter in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “Scientists Stunned by Mysterious Light”: Bold Experiment Uses 4-Inch Glowing Crystal Core to Unveil Secrets of Elusive Dark Matter

    May 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM
    Illustration of a precision laser being fired from Earth to a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Hits the Moon With a Laser: First Daylight Lunar Reflection in History Stuns Scientists and Ignites Global Space Race

    May 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
    Illustration of the SR-72 hypersonic jet soaring through the sky (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Stunned by US Jet”: SR-72 Hypersonic Aircraft to Fly at Over Mach 5 in 2025, Triggering Shock and Panic in Beijing

    May 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
    Illustration of China's expansive underground military command center near Beijing (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Unveils Its Military Mega-Project: Satellite Images Reveal Construction of the Largest Military Hub on Earth Spanning Over 1,000 Acres

    May 3, 2025 at 6:54 AM
    Illustration of China's new amphibious anti-tank missile system on the ZTD-05 vehicle (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Unleashes Amphibious Beast”: This Armored Truck-Turned-Tank Can Now Hunt Enemy Targets Across Rivers and Swamps

    May 2, 2025 at 5:52 AM
  • Research
    Illustration of the hidden corridor discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Hidden Passages Change Everything”: Stunned Archaeologists Unveil Secret Corridor Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, Shaking History to Its Core

    July 12, 2025 at 5:01 PM
    Illustration of a blue shark showcasing its color-changing ability, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Sharks Are Masters of Disguise”: Astonished Scientists Uncover Blue Shark’s Unique Ability to Change Color in a Breathtaking Breakthrough

    July 12, 2025 at 8:52 AM
    Illustration of milk's superior hydration properties compared to water, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “This Drink Crushes Water”: Shocked Researchers Unveil Revolutionary Beverage That Delivers Unmatched Hydration and Redefines What Your Body Really Needs

    July 12, 2025 at 8:08 AM
    Illustration of scientists linking optical clocks across six nations to redefine the second, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Clocks Just Changed Time Forever”: Global Team Unites Ten Ultra-Precise Devices Across Six Countries to Radically Redefine the Second

    July 12, 2025 at 7:14 AM
    Illustration of an underwater volcano revealing giant eggs of the Pacific white skate, created by artificial intelligence.

    “These Eggs Shouldn’t Exist”: Shaken Scientists Confront Nightmarish Discovery as Underwater Volcano Exposes Thousands of Giant Living Spheres Hidden in the Abyss

    July 12, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Sustainability Times

The great Amazon land grab: Brazil’s government is turning public land private, driving deforestation

Eirwen WilliamsEirwen WilliamsFebruary 6, 2022 at 11:23 PM0
Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News
(Photo: Pixabay/rrubra)
Share
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Copy Link

Photo: Pixabay/rrubra

Imagine that several state legislators decide that Yellowstone National Park is too big. Also imagine that, working with federal politicians, they change the law to downsize the park by a million acres, which they sell in a private auction.

Outrageous? Yes. Unheard of? No. It happens routinely and with increasing frequency in the Brazilian Amazon.

The most widely publicized threat to the Amazonian rainforest is deforestation. Less well understood is that public lands are being converted to private holdings in a land grab we’ve been studying for the past decade.

Much of this land is cleared for cattle ranches and soybean farms, threatening biodiversity and the Earth’s climate. Prior research has quantified how much public land has been grabbed, but only for one type of public land called “undesignated public forests.”

Our research provides a complete account across all classes of public land. We looked at Amazonia’s most active deforestation frontier, southern Amazonas State, starting in 2012 as rates of deforestation began to increase because of loosened regulatory oversight. Our research shows how land grabs are tied to accelerating deforestation spearheaded by wealthy interests, and how Brazil’s National Congress, by changing laws, is legitimizing these land grabs.

How the Amazon land grab began

Brazil’s modern land grab started in the 1970s, when the military government began offering free land to encourage mining industries and farmers to move in, arguing that national security depended on developing the region. It took lands that had been under state jurisdictions since colonial times and allocated them to rural settlement, granting 150- to 250-acre holdings to poor farmers.

Federal and state governments ultimately designated over 65% of Amazonia to several public interests, including rural settlement. For biodiversity, they created conservation units, some allowing traditional resource use and subsistence agriculture. Leftover government lands are generally referred to as “vacant or undesignated public lands.”

Tracking the land grab

Studies have estimated that by 2020, 32% of “undesignated public forests” had been grabbed for private use. But this is only part of the story, because land grabbing is now affecting many types of public land.

Importantly, land grabs now impact conservation areas and indigenous territories, where private holdings are forbidden.

The Amazon region is home to a great array of endangered species and further losses of their habitats could drive them extinct. (photo: Pixabay/carecrit)

We compared the boundaries of self-declared private holdings in the government’s Rural Environmental Registry database, known as CAR, with the boundaries of all public lands in southern Amazonas State.

The region has 50,309 square miles in conservation units. Of these, we found that 10,425 square miles, 21%, have been “grabbed,” or declared in the CAR register as private between 2014 and 2020.

In the United States, this would be like having 21% of the national parks disappear into private property.

Our measurement is probably an underestimate, given that not all grabbed lands are registered. Some land grabbers now use CAR to establish claims that could become legal with changes in the law.

Land grabs put the rainforest at risk by increasing deforestation. In southern Amazonas, our research reveals that twice as much deforestation occurred on illegal as opposed to legal CAR holdings between 2008 and 2021, a relative magnitude that is growing.

Large deforestation patches point to wealth

So who are these land grabbers?

In Pará State, Amazonas State’s neighbor, deforestation in the 1990s was dominated by poor family farms in rural settlements. On average, these households accumulated 120 acres of farmland after several decades by opening 4-6 acres of forest every few years in clearings visible on satellite images as deforestation patches.

Since then, patch sizes have grown dramatically in the region, with most deforestation occurring on illicit holdings whose patches are much larger than on legal holdings.

Large deforestation patches indicate the presence of wealthy grabbers, given the cost of clearing land.

Land grabbers benefit by selling the on-site timber and by subdividing what they’ve grabbed for sale in small parcels. Arrest records and research by groups such as Transparency International Brasil show that many of them are involved in criminal enterprises that use the land for money laundering, tax evasion and illegal mining and logging.

In the 10-year period before President Jair Bolsonaro took office, satellite data showed two deforestation patches exceeding 3,707 acres in Southern Amazonas. Since his election in 2019, we can identify nine massive clearings with an average size of 5,105 acres. The clearance and preparation cost for each Bolsonaro-era deforestation patch, legal or illicit, would be about US$353,000.

Legitimizing land grabbing

Brazil’s National Congress has been making it easier to grab public land.

A 2017 change in the law expanded the legally allowed size of private holdings in undesignated public lands and in rural settlements. This has reclassified over 1,000 square miles of land that had been considered illegal in 2014 as legal in southern Amazonas. Of all illegal CAR claims in undesignated public lands and rural settlements in 2014, we found that 94% became legal in 2017.

Congress is now considering two additional pieces of legislation. One would legitimize land grabs up to 6,180 acres, about 9.5 square miles, in all undesignated public forests – an amount already allowed by law in other types of undesignated public lands. The second would legitimize large holdings on about 80,000 square miles of land once meant for the poor.

Our research also shows that the federal government increased the amount of public land up for grabs in southern Amazonas by shrinking rural settlements by 16%, just over 2,000 square miles, between 2015 and 2020. Large ranches are now absorbing that land. Similar downsizing of public land has affected Amazonia’s national parks.

What can turn this around?

Because of policy interventions and the greening of agricultural supply chains, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell after 2005, reaching a low point in 2012, when it began trending up again because of weakening environmental governance and reduced surveillance.

Other countries have helped Brazil with billions of dollars to protect the Amazon for the good of the climate, but in the end, the land belongs to Brazil. Outsiders have limited power to influence its use.

At the U.N. climate summit in 2021, 141 countries – including Brazil – signed a pledge to end deforestation by 2030. This pledge holds potential because, unlike past ones, the private sector has committed $7.2 billion to reduce agriculture’s impact on the forest.

In our view, the global community can help by insisting that supply chains for Amazonian beef and soybean products originate on lands deforested long ago and whose legality is longstanding.

This article was written by Gabriel Cardoso Carrero, a graduate student fellow and PhD Candidate in Geography at the University of Florida; Cynthia S. Simmons, a professor of Geography the University of Florida; and Robert T. Walker, professor of Latin American Studies and Geography at the University of Florida. It is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Did you like it? 4.6/5 (21)

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Forest Policy
Follow on Google News Follow on X (Twitter)
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Previous ArticleClimate change will deprive oceans of precious oxygen
Next Article Some 9,200 species of trees are ‘still undiscovered’ by science
Eirwen Williams
  • X (Twitter)

Eirwen Williams is a New York-based journalist at Sustainability Times, covering science, climate policy, sustainable innovation, and environmental justice. A graduate of NYU’s Journalism Institute, he explores how cities adapt to a warming world. With a focus on people-powered change, his stories spotlight the intersection of activism, policy, and green technology. Contact : [email protected]

Keep Reading
Illustration of Kenyan trees converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, generated by artificial intelligence.

“These Trees Turn CO2 Into Stone”: Amazed Scientists Hail Kenya’s One-of-a-Kind Forest as the Ultimate Breakthrough Against Climate Change

Illustration of individuals attempting to cool down during a heatwave by drinking icy beverages, generated by artificial intelligence.

“Scientists Warn Everyone Makes This Deadly Heat Mistake”: Proven Ineffective Cooling Habit Spreads Every Summer, Endangering Lives Across America

Illustration of the Birdhouse Modular tiny house design, highlighting its flexible and eco-friendly features, generated by artificial intelligence.

“Modular Tiny House Totally Changed My Life”: Birdhouse’s Revolutionary Design Delivers Ultimate Flexibility and Style for Modern Small-Space Living

Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of Millie, the 30-year-old tortoiseshell cat, enjoying a special cream cake on her birthday, generated by artificial intelligence.
“Bottled Water Saved Her Life”: World’s Oldest Cat Millie Thrives at Age 30 by Drinking Only Premium Water, Stunning Veterinarians Everywhere
Illustration of the hidden corridor discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza, generated by artificial intelligence.
“These Hidden Passages Change Everything”: Stunned Archaeologists Unveil Secret Corridor Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, Shaking History to Its Core
Illustration of Kenyan trees converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, generated by artificial intelligence.
“These Trees Turn CO2 Into Stone”: Amazed Scientists Hail Kenya’s One-of-a-Kind Forest as the Ultimate Breakthrough Against Climate Change
News by category
  • Featured
  • Cities
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Impact
  • Markets
  • Opinions
  • Policy
  • Reports
  • Research
Information
  • About Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Legal Mentions
  • Privacy Policy

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
© Sustainability-Times.com. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.