Expanding forest concessions in the Brazilian Amazon

“Forest concession is one of the principal instruments for the conservation of the Amazon rainforest and simultaneously enables the generation of employment and income opportunities for the population living in the region. Currently, there are 23 signed contracts representing 1.3 million hectares in the states of Pará, Rondônia, Amapá, and Amazonas. The project will assist us in expanding forest concessions to 5 million hectares in the coming years and inaugurate restoration concessions."

-  Renato Rosemberg, Director of Concessions, Brazilian Forest Service 

The project collaborates with the Brazilian Forest Service to enhance regulations of the supply of concession products and services, attracting private investments. Deforestation and forest degradation, fuelled by illegal land grabbing, logging, and mining, are major causes of destruction in the Brazilian Amazon, intensifying greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing these issues can partially be achieved by responsibly utilising and effectively managing public forests through strong forest management techniques employed by both companies and traditional communities. It will expedite the use of carbon credits in public forests, strengthen environmental governance, and promote the participation of local communities. The partnership's main objective is to encourage the expansion of forest concessions in the Brazilian Amazon. 

Additionally, IMAFLORA looks to propose an economically and legally appealing forest concession model, with a focus on policies for forest carbon on public lands. It involves participating in the creation of the Brazilian Forest Service's new investment fund for tropical forests, named the Forever Tropical Forests Fund. It will provide support for vital collaborations to bolster the forest concession agenda, particularly by involving local communities and indigenous populations.