São Paulo, Sep 4 (EFE) – Representatives of Indigenous peoples and environmental NGOs on Thursday called on authorities and businesses in São Paulo to urgently advance forest conservation by promoting sustainable economic activities and granting rights to nature.
Leandro Karaí Mirim, a Guaraní Indigenous leader and communicator for the Museum of Indigenous Cultures in São Paulo, told the 3rd Latin American Green Economy Forum (FLEV), organized by Agencia EFE, that Brazil’s environmental legislation should grant “rights” to forests, following Bolivia’s example.
“When a river is polluted by a company, it is murdered,” he said.
Spiritual and legal perspectives
Karaí Mirim highlighted the “spiritual” impact of deforestation, likening tree felling to “dismemberment.” He also criticized as “regrettable” the delays by authorities in demarcating Indigenous lands, despite Brazil’s Constitution requiring it.
This concern was echoed by Leonardo Sobral, forestry director of the NGO Imaflora, who said that demarcating Indigenous lands and creating conservation units are the most effective ways to halt deforestation.
“Undesignated public forests (those not classified as reserves or conservation units) are the areas most vulnerable to logging,” Sobral said.
Beyond conservation: sustainable production
Sobral argued that conservation alone is insufficient and called for boosting the sustainable production of native fruits to give forest-dwelling communities viable economic alternatives to deforestation.
“We must reconcile production with conservation,” he said, citing latex and açaí extraction as examples.
Estefanía Sánchez, of Argentina’s ProYungas Foundation, suggested another strategy: working with companies to help preserve the wild areas they own.
“We must encourage the private sector to invest part of its revenue in conservation,” Sánchez said, stressing that such efforts must be “proactive.”
The private sector as part of the solution
One ProYungas project helps companies measure the carbon stored in preserved wild areas so they can include it in their environmental footprint and share the results publicly as a reputational asset.
Sánchez noted that private-sector initiatives could add another 15% to the 15% of Argentine territory already protected by conservation units.
“The productive sector is not the problem; it is a key actor in finding a solution,” she said.
Forum sponsors
The 3rd FLEV is sponsored by:
-
ApexBrasil, Brazil’s trade and investment promotion agency.
-
Norte Energia, operator of the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant.
-
Lots Group, a logistics company focused on decarbonization.
It is also supported by Imaflora, the Climate Observatory, and IBMEC University, which is hosting the event at its São Paulo campus. EFE