Between 2017 and 2018, 7,900 km² of Amazon rainforest were cleared in Brazil, and the new president’s agenda is set to accelerate this process.
Brazil holds 60% of the Amazon rainforest, home to an exceptionally rich biodiversity. Yet the Amazon has lost 20% of its surface area over the past 50 years due to deforestation that Brasília has struggled to contain.
Agriculture and the environment now fall under a single ministry. Caught between the interests of the powerful agribusiness lobby, backed by the president, and environmental protection, the balance leans heavily in one direction.
There is even talk of opening indigenous lands to mining or other profitable economic activities, regardless of the consequences. The planet’s green lung is openly under threat.
