Last April the Brazilian Congress
approved the ‘new’ Forest Code, a batch of changes to the existing forest code
dating from 1965. The ‘new’ code is one of the most controversial laws passed
by Congress in recent years and will impede efforts to slow down
deforestation in the country.
The President of Brazil, Dilma
Roussef, has the right to veto the bill. She has until 25 May, a few days
before the Rio+20 Conference, to take this
important decision and to show the world her commitment to promoting
sustainable development.
SAVE Brasil (BirdLife in Brazil) are
asking everybody to join ongoing online campaigns against the changes
to the bill.
“This is truly a huge loss and
disappointment to all of us, who have been fighting against the changes,” said
SAVE Brasil’s Director, Dr Jaqueline Goerck.
And poll surveys indicate that
the overwhelming majority of Brazilians (nearly 80%) oppose the changes to the
code as well.
The instant campaigns
website Avaaz has linked up with Greenpeace, WWF and key
Brazilian organizations to seek people’s support for a petition to the
President of Brazil. Almost 2 million people have already signed, but
more people are need!
The ‘new’ Forest Code was
pushed through Congress by a powerful farming lobby, who say there is need
to support Brazil’s
economy by strengthening exports of agricultural products such as beef,
soybeans, sugar and poultry. Another argument was that legislation is needed to
prevent food prices from climbing in Brazil.
But economists and agronomists in
Brazil
point out that there is potential to expand agriculture in already transformed
land, that is now being used as pasture, for instance. There is no need for
further deforestation of natural areas. Studies substantiate this point of
view.
SAVE Brasil’s Pedro
Develey summarised in the journal BioNeotropica the likely impact that the
‘new’ Forest Code will have on bird populations in the country: “17
globally threatened species depend on riverine forests, and eight of these are
restricted to Brazil.
Narrower Permanent Preservation Areas will lead to significant population
losses, putting at risk the integrity of populations and, in some cases, the
survival of species.”
The changes also target high
altitude habitats, allowing for “continuation of unproductive livestock farming
on slopes, edges of plateaus, hilltops and areas in altitude above 1800
metres”. Develey points out that many endemic species are restricted to
high altitudes, including 13 bird species in the south-eastern Atlantic Forest occurring above 1,800 m.
Please go to – www.avaaz.org
and sign.