New agreement the soy moratorium incorporates the new Forest Code

The Working Group of the Soy Moratorium (GTS) – which brings together industry, civil society and government – announced on Tuesday (26) in Brasília (DF) , which will be extended until May 31, 2016 the companies’ commitment not to market , acquire or finance soy from deforested areas within the Amazon biome after July 2008.

Thus, the renewed agreement retains the fundamental criterion of the moratorium, which is zero deforestation, and moves to incorporate aspects of the new Forest Code and improvements in production practices .

Adopt July 2008 as a new baseline will serve to align according to what is foreseen in the forestry law in force. The Rural Environmental Registry – CAR possibly serve as a monitoring instrument of rural properties. The Recovery Environmental Regularization Program – PRA, should have auxiliary role in the adaptation of farms with soybean crops, when there are environmental liabilities.

And the relationship of the soybean moratorium with the new forestry law does not end there. The commitment made by the sectors participating in the GTS provides that industry, government and civil society to find ways to make the soy farmers comply with what is provided for in the Forest Code. The search for financial resources to support the soybean farmers in the adaptation of the properties is a goal that should be followed by the group in order to ensure responsible production of the grain.

Model  

Since the moratorium entered into force seven years ago, the industry – which acquires Brazilian soybeans for export – came to veto the production coming from deforested areas of the Amazon biome. However, the recent rise in commodity prices has led some producers to take risks operating outside the agreement.

The mapping done by the GTS pointed out that since the moratorium, about 47 thousand hectares of soybeans were planted in the Amazon in “disagreement” with what was agreed. This represents 0.9% of the total deforested and 1.6% of the area planted with the crop in the biome.

“We have identified these areas and want to know if the deforestation occurred in permanent protection area, legal reserve or restricted use,” assured the Minister of the Environment, Izabella Teixeira.

“We have not got to the zero deforestation we are pursuing, but the size of the area planted outside the scope of the moratorium is very small and does not compromise the initiative,” said Paulo Adario, Greenpeace, representative of civil society in GTS. For him, the experience with the soybean moratorium on Amazon can inspire similar models for other agricultural products of commercial interest, such as corn, for example.

The president of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil – ABIOVE, Carlo Lovatelli, agrees. For him, the soy moratorium can be considered a success.Despite the difficulties he admitted initially exist in the dialogue between the parties, the initiative should continue to guide the soybean production in the Amazon.

Designed to last two years, the moratorium has been renewed annually. The market recognizes this mechanism of control, which seal the main Brazilian agricultural product is virtually free of deforestation in the Amazon biome.

Challenges 

According to members of the GTS, the advent of the new Forest Code has brought new elements to the debate and can influence the role the group will have going forward. “The Rural Environmental Registry will have an important role. It will help to map the farms, “said Jean-François Timmers, Superintendent of Public Policy at WWF-Brazil.

According to him, only ten percent of the farms are in the official government system. “We are late because the law speaks of having all properties in the CAR by May 2015, may be extended at most until May 2016 when this new stage also ends the moratorium,” Timmers said.

For him, the goal is now, in addition to maintaining zero deforestation, qualify the implementation of the Forest Code, encourage producers and include economies of scale in production best practice initiatives in the agricultural sector.

“The climate is already showing signs of walk we have to act fast. Think of a sojicultora of low carbon and rational consumption of water in crops are issues that need to enter the GTS’s agenda. Control deforestation just no longer enough, “he said.

( WWF-Brazil)