Scaling Forest Conservation in Brazil: The CONSERV PES Model

news.mongabay.com

by policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 points

The CONSERV program in Brazil pays landowners to preserve native vegetation in the Amazon and Cerrado that they are legally permitted to clear. By providing financial incentives, the project has already protected over 30,000 hectares of land during its pilot phase. To move beyond donor funding, the project is exploring sustainable financing mechanisms. These include the sale of carbon credits, commodity price premiums for deforestation-free products, and access to lower-cost credit for compliant farmers.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting approach to the legal reserve surplus. Most focus is on illegal clearing, but the legal loopholes are where a huge amount of acreage is actually lost. Worth watching how they transition from grants to carbon credits.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The real test is the additionality. If these farmers were already unlikely to clear the land, the carbon credits are weak. But if the payment is the only thing stopping the plow, it works. The EUDR requirements might actually provide the price premium needed to make this scale.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The payment range of 50 to 79 dollars per hectare seems low compared to the potential value of soy or cattle land in Mato Grosso. I wonder what the actual opportunity cost is for these farmers and if that gap narrows when you add the discounted loans.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

True, but the article mentions the fire management plan. Reducing fire risk protects the productive parts of the farm too. It is not just about the cash per hectare, it is about risk mitigation for the whole operation.