Between Consensus and Conflict: Environmental Action Dilemmas

Between Consensus and Conflict: environmental action dilemmas Critical reading about some actions to reconcile production based on agribusiness with protection of the Cerrado Biome1 Franklin Plessmann de Carvalho2

The consensus policy The accelerated expansion of agribusiness 3 in the Brazilian Cerrado has resulted in increased deforestation rates in the biome.4 It is within this context, that governmental and non-governmental institutions claim concern for environmental degradation5, and seek out actions to improve the Cerrado’s environmental conservation. The “Climate and Land Use Alliance”6 is one of these groups, along with its member foundations who are willing to support initiatives intended to reduce carbon emissions through generating opportunities for sustainable socioeconomic development.7 This type of development can be understood as the establishment of a more balanced relationship between economic development, environmental preservation and social inclusion. The purpose of the study presented by "California Environmental Associates”, which is the focus of this critical review, is to support the “Climate and Land Use Alliance” in identifying strategic actions that may contribute to the implementation of sustainable development in the Brazilian Cerrado. The study demonstrated a certain effort to articulate actions that are already being formulated and implemented to contain the ongoing deforestation.8 The term “strategies” refers to the five blocks of actions presented as: i) focus on strict implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code; ii) land tenure of traditional peoples and communities lands; iii) biome conservation incentives; iv) recovery of degraded areas for agriculture; and v) biodiversity and landscape preservation.

1 This text was prepared by request of “Climate and Land Use Alliance” with the purpose of critically analyze the assessment prepared by “California Environmental Associates” with the title “Challenges and Opportunity for Conservation, Agricultural Production and Social Inclusion in the Cerrado Biome”. 2 Professor at the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB) and researcher from the Project New Social Cartography of the Amazon. 3 Emphasis to large plantations monocultures of soy, cotton, corn, plantations combined with industrial plants (eucalyptus, pines, acacia, palm oil trees); and cattle grazing areas. 4 Between 2002 and 2008 the IBAMA project “Monitoring of Brazilian Biomes” classified Cerrado with highest deforestation rate of all Brazilian biomes. Over these years deforestation area was 85.074 km 2. In 2008 47,84% of the Biome area had already been deforested, adding up to 975.711 km2.. In 2010 the deforested area came up to 49,16% of the total Biome area. (MINISTÉRIO DO MEIO AMBIENTE, 2011, p. 35) 5 The term “environmental degradation” will be handled in this text as a concept under dispute. Evidencing how identification of the “subject” responsible for degradation is made will be the basis for the critical thinking proposed herein. For better understanding of this perspective I recommend reading the text “Biologismos, Geografismos e Dualismos: notas para uma leitura crítica de esquemas interpretativos da amazônia que dominam a vida intelectual (Biologisms, Geographisms and Dualisms, notes for critical reading of Amazon interpretation schemes that rule intellectual life)” by Alfredo Wagner Berno de Almeida (ALMEIDA, 2008b, p. 17-41) 6 This alliance is constituted by the foundations: Climate Works Foundation; The David Lucile & Packard Foundation; Ford Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation 7 For further details about the purposes of this alliance access the informative “Strategic Focus and Priorities: Global Initiative (2013-2016) http://www.climateandlandusealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Overview_Global_Strategy_2016.pdf 8 As reference of actions planned by the Brazilian government, see the “Action plan to prevent and control deforestation and fires at Cerrado – PPCerrado”. There are two plans available for consultation, one related to stage 1 (2010-2103) and another related to stage 2 (2014-2015). (MINISTÉRIO DO MEIO AMBIENTE, 2011) (2014) Before starting to criticize the referred actions, it is important to evaluate the document’s basic premise: the actual possibility of conciliating on the one hand, agribusiness production interests, based on meeting market demands for certain agricultural commodities, using large sections of land for the cultivation of monocultures and pastures, with intensive pesticide use, leading to a further concentration of economic wealth. On the other hand, there is the possibility of maintaining the quality of environmental resources through strengthening and recovery of existing livelihoods and ecological diversity. The study presents such conciliation as a challenge to be faced and indicates possibility of success if the referred actions are adopted. I understand that this perspective is based on agribusiness agents who are able to impose their interests over society’s broader interests. The prescribed actions are therefore linked to an attempt to conciliate the drive to increase agribusiness production with the minimum limits of environmental preservation. These same limits that intend to guarantee the conditions to reproduce this economic model, is however compromised by climate change, loss of soil fertility, erosion, contamination and lowering of groundwater, indicating growing challenges to maintain production levels. The premise therefore assumes that it is impossible to strengthen other economic means that are less socially unequal and environmentally more balanced that can supersede the market economy9. After analyzing this proposition I wonder if institutions are actually concerned with environmental preservation and better distribution of produced wealth, and are committed to supporting actions that slightly slow down the ongoing social and environmental degradation process? Resisting the idea to agree with this statement, I argue that it is impossible to build consensus between such diverging sets of interests, explaining the inefficiency in some of the actions indicated by the study by “California Environmental Associates”. I demonstrate the need to make the “subjects” responsible for environmental degradation evident, as well as to identify the “subjects” whose way of life is based on environmental preservation and a more equitable distribution of wealth.10 Distinction between “subjects” is indispensable for better identification of the actions that must be evidenced, strengthened and improved with the purpose of reducing deforestation and distributing wealth in a more equitable manner.

Critiques to indicated actions11 The first group of actions indicated by the study prepared by “California Environmental Associates”

9 As reference to further critical analysis of the approach used by the “California Environmental Associates” I recommend reading the reflection prepared by Enrique Leff in the text “Globalização, Ambiente e Sustentabilidade do desenvolvimento (Globalization, Environment and Sustainability of development)”. I highlight Leff’s criticism about the “search for a concept that can make economy green, eliminating the contradiction between economic growth and nature preservation”. Removal of politics from the environmental issue as a tool “to prevent changes in the economic orders, dissolving the critical and transforming potential of ecological development practices”. (LEFF, 2015, p. 18-20) 10 I recommend the reflections from Nancy Fraser about the challenge of conciliating the acknowledgement and redistribution demands. Among other references I suggest the text “Da redistribuição ao reconhecimento? Dilemas da justiça numa era "pós-socialista (From redistribution to recognition: justice dilemmas in a post-socialist era)". (FRASER, 2006, p. 231-239). 11 I reaffirm that the proposal from this small text is to make a summarized critical analysis of the study prepared by “California Environmental Associates”. Therefore, only a few points were selected, the ones considered as central for preparation of the recommended actions. For complete proposal analysis, a more detailed text would need to be prepared. is guided by strict implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code. They suppose that indexes for preservation would be sufficient or would represent a political possibility agreed through conciliation of powers currently dominated by agribusiness agents12. I highlight that there is a strong contradiction here, related to the goal of reducing deforestation, and in particular of reaching “zero deforestation”. How can we designate as a “fundamental action” the implementation of a Forest Code that reduced protection requirements, allowing more flexibility on the rules and standards to protection, and accepting agribusiness areas that were illegally deforested? Knowing that more that 50% of the reference area of the Cerrado biome has already been deforested, how can we allow for the incorporation of new areas for agribusiness, allowing suppression of 65% of the remaining native vegetation? How can we invest in a mechanism that delegates to agribusiness interests the registration of the CAR (Rural Environmental Registry), which identifies legal reservation areas, even though the insertion of information may be false and Government agents lack the operational capacity to monitor the information provided? How can we consider this registry as adequate knowing that it can trigger validation of illegal land grabs? Other questions could be posed about the limits of the Forest Code in curtailing the ongoing deforestation.13 By using the Forest code as reference and striving for engagement of the agents interested in the expansion of agribusiness, we are gambling with preservation limits, accepting a standardization that is detrimental to the preservation of socio-biodiversity. Another group of actions refers to “improvement of sustainability and productivity of already existing agricultural and pasture lands”. Again the study is based on the assumption of the importance of agribusiness, indicating its role in Brazil’s trade balance, being responsible for 35% of the country’s exports. Moreover the recommended actions intend to improve productivity of lands already explored by agribusiness. A first expected result would be reduction of the need to incorporate new areas, decreasing pressure on lands traditionally occupied and conserved. The second expected result would be the use of techniques with less environmental impact, reducing pesticide use, lowering erosion levels, aiming to improve the quality of the soil and water. If we consider that Brazil is the global leader in the use of pesticides in the world, allowing chemicals that were banned in other countries14, reducing chemical usage to ensure proper environmental quality would require a significant change in the technological production model. At the same time, expansion of the agricultural frontier is guided by other variables, such as demands

12 It would be important to resume discussions about changing the forest code that stirred up a large portion of the Brazilian society, reaffirming the opposition of environmentalists and social agents from traditional peoples and communities to this change. For brief consultation access: http://www.valor.com.br/politica/2506178/movimentos-sociais-pressionam-dilma-por-veto-ao-codigo-florestal http://www.greenpeace.org/brasil/pt/Blog/Dilma-abre-mao-do-combate-ao-desmatamento/?gclid=COXhl- uPi84CFYWAkQodNkkCBA 13 To illustrate some studies that were performed and indicated a step backwards in the current environmental code https://www.socioambiental.org/pt-br/noticias-socioambientais/estudo-do-isa-revela-que-novo-codigo-florestal-trouxe- retrocesso-ambiental-em-tres-municipios-do-xingu-mtpa

14 In 2009 more than a thousand tons of pesticides were used in Brazil (an average of 5.2 kg per inhabitant), ten different chemicals were banished from the European Community, United States and China. For more information about this issue I recommend the book by Flávia Londres “Agrotóxicos no Brasil, um guia para ação em defesa da vida (Pesticides in Brazil, a guide for life protection actions)” (LONDRES, 2011, p. 19) from commodities markets, production costs and land markets.15 To suggest the rationalization of agribusiness’ production system should be a goal of the sector, as it is the main beneficiary of such actions. To think of this approach as something to be driven by sectors concerned with social and environmental issues is to deny the real interests of agribusiness agents. It is important to highlight that the study presented by “California Environmental Associates” acknowledges that there is sufficient knowledge available of production systems that are based on agricultural ecosystems and that present high sustainability levels16. Another mistaken premise presented by the study is the acceptance of a statement by the government sector that identifies the Cerrado region as “poor and in need of development”. This statement is problematic in that its proposition could be used to strengthen actions based on land rights of traditional peoples and communities and for preservation of natural resources in the biome. Instead, it is used to reinforce the idea that environmental preservation and traditional communities way of life are not economically feasible, requiring the presence of agribusiness for development of such areas.17 The study questions such a premise by highlighting social and environmental movements, but it strives to conciliate their interests with those of agribusiness. We can provide a series of examples of how traditional peoples and communities economy is disorganized by an influx of agribusiness and how the implementation of large projects results in a social construct of poverty. We can also resort to examples that demonstrate that strengthening local livelihoods allows traditional peoples and communities to develop, improve the balance between generations, and distribute wealth and enhanced preservation of natural resources.18 Most actions proposed by the “strategy” to promote conservation can also be presented as timid, following the logic of subordination to the “market”. Credits linked to “Ecological Zoning”, “Smart Compensation”, “Certifications” and “Payment for Environmental Services” fulfill the role of “greening” an activity that is extremely predatory to environmental resources.19

15 deepen the debate about agricultural borders I recommend the text by André Dumans Guedes “Lutas por terra e lutas por território nas ciências sociais brasileiras: fronteiras, conflitos e movimentos (Fight for land and territories in Brazilian social sciences, borders, conflicts and movements)”. In this text Guedes compares studies by the anthropologist Otávio Guilherme Velho and sociologist José de Souza Martins, contextualizing different perspectives about agricultural borders in Brazil. (GUEDES, 2013, p. 41-80) 16 As reference I indicate the article by Cláudia Job Schmitt. “Transição Agroecológica e Desenvolvimento Rural: um olhar a partir da Experiência Brasileira (Agricultural and Ecologic Transition and Rural Development: an outlook on the Brazilian Experience)”. (SCHMITT, 2009, p. 173-198) 17 As reference to the “logic of decadence” to justify imposing the economic reasoning based on agribusiness development I indicate the book “A ideologia da decadência (Decadence ideology)” by Alfredo Wagner Berno de Almeida. (ALMEIDA, 2008c) 18 For further information I recommend the books “O Maranhão em rota de colisão: Experiências camponesas versus Políticas Governamentais (Maranhão in route of collision: Peasant Experiences versus Governmental Policies” (ALMEIDA e SILVA, 1998); “Guerra Ecológica nos Babaçuais (Ecologic War in Babassu Palm Plantations)” (ALMEIDA, SHIRAISHI NETO e MARTINS, 2005); “Economia do Babaçu (Babassu Economy)” (ALMEIDA, 2001); “Povos Tradicionais no Arquipélogo do Marajó e Políticas de Ordenamento Territorial e Ambiental (Traditional Peoples at the Marajó Archipelago and Land Organization and Environmental Policies) (MARIN, TELES, et al., 2015). I also recommend reading informative Dossiers and Bulletins prepared by researchers connected to the “Project Social Mapping as Land Management instrument against Deforestation and Devastation – UEA/BNDES” that can be obtained at the site www.novacartografiasocial.com 19 This critical analysis is based on the reflection from Henri Acselrad related to preparation of “manuals that disclose new organization formats to face environmental contradictions in development and adopt formal models of subscription to abstract “environmental awareness”, disconnected from concrete environmental conflicts that challenge social agents willing to The two indicated actions - i) strict implementation of the forest code and ii) improving sustainability and productivity of already explored lands by the agribusiness sector and linking conservation to "environmental credits" - are inconsistent with the purpose of protecting social biodiversity. It is a set of actions already being implemented that, in a best case scenario, do very little to slow down environmental degradation. Additionally, all presented strategies are based on the belief of incorporation of the importance of social biodiversity by the agribusiness sector. This perspective has shown to be quite “naïve”. There is countless evidence of resistance from businessmen in this sector to adopt effective environmental protection measures that restrict profit margins. Most actions indicated by the study would only serve to legitimize agribusiness as a viable form of production, accepting parameters imposed by their own interests as acceptable. Instead of meeting the demand to preserve social biodiversity, these strategies would be subject to the interest of agents related to agribusiness. Therefore, these are actions that better meet interests from these sectors and not from organizations that are truly concerned with implementation of a development model that strengthens social biodiversity. The study also showed frailness of the Brazilian Government in knowing which are public lands, private owned lands and traditionally occupied lands.20 It also showed that conservation areas are hard to manage, with deforestation rates similar to the ones in unprotected areas. The study points out how difficult it is to recognize land rights from traditional peoples and communities by the Brazilian State throughout history. Additionally, in recent years the federal constitution from 1988 opened new possibilities, becoming a landmark of legal recognition of the rights of these peoples. Since that time, Brazil ratified international conventions, prepared decrees and standardized procedures to regulate the land management situation of these peoples.21 However, enforcement of these rights is hindered by the power of agribusiness and mining business agents to stop administrative procedures required to demarcate traditionally occupied lands22. To meet this demand the study indicates as “main priority” effective acknowledgement of traditional peoples and communities land rights. However, if on one hand actions are recommended to identify, understand and strengthen the way of life of traditional communities, “CAR” is presented as a promising possibility for land management regularization of areas traditionally occupied by peoples and communities, even acknowledging the great potential of this tool to be a land grabbing vector.23 It also concentrates efforts

democratizing the environment” (ACSELRAD, 2006, p. 22-24) 20 To further this issue I recommend the book “Terras Devolutas e Latifundio (Land in Abeyance and Large Land Properties)”by Lígia Osorio Silva. (SILVA, 2008) 21 The book “Direito dos Povos e das Counidades Tradicionais no Brasil (Rights from Traditional Peoples and Communities in Brazil)” by Joaquim Shiraishi Neto approaches this issue in detail. (SHIRAISHI NETO, 2007) 22 A parameter of the power of agribusiness can be obtained in the book “O Congresso Nacional e o desmatamento na Amazônia (National Congress and deforestation in the Amazon)” by Alfredo Wagner Berno de Almeida and Márcia Anita Sprandel. (ALMEIDA e SPRANDEL, 2014) 23 The text “Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) e Povos Tradicionais (Rural Environmental Registration – CAR and Traditional Peoples)”, written by Carlos Frederico Marés de Souza Filho, Cláudia Sonda and Angelaine Lemos analyzes legal and practical consequences of different applications of CAR, based on the premise that this instrument was born with the intention of being a general registration of rural real state in Brazil, comprehending lands intended for production, public use, traditional peoples and conservation units. (SOUZA FILHO, SONDA e LEMOS, 2015) in “market regulation”, resulting from negative value attributed to economic sectors linked to land grabbing and destruction of the environment. Once again interests from agribusiness agents guide the indicated action. In this sense the study lacks proposals that are more forcible in addressing deforestation. When striving for consensus with interests of agents that promote agribusiness, it settles for a "mock ecologyzation", strengthening the position of the main “subject” responsible for degradation of the Cerrado – the agribusinessmen.

Understanding conflicts to overcome contradictions The challenge presented in the title of the study from the "California Environmental Associates”should be amended. Instead of striving to conciliate agribusiness interests, actions must be supported to strengthen an economy based on the preservation of sociobiodiversity. Therefore it should aim for a change in the balance of power between agents related to agribusiness and agents linked to a variety of more sustainable basic livelihoods. Shifting this balance of forces in the pursuit of building concrete possibilities to overcome the logic that places the market economy at the center of any response. There must be awareness that overcoming this market-centric logic is a key step to stopping the ongoing environmental degradation of the Cerrado. Designing proposals to face this context is quite complex. Answers cannot be drawn out without consideration of the existing conflicts between different interests. In this sense, the identification of the "subject" of degradation must be precise, as well as the identification of potential agents that ensure the Cerrado’s material and cultural permanence. As a starting point, actions intended for conservation and preservation of biodiversity and the landscape must be directly related to ensuring traditionally occupied land rights effecting a great change in the Brazilian land management situation. Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, quebradeiras de babassu, local communities, farm settlers and several peoples from the north of Minas Gerais state24, are already organized against deforestation of the Cerrado25. For their way of life conservation of the Cerrado is essential.26 The interests of social agents from traditional peoples and communities must guide and conduct the

24 This text includes several communities that identify their way of life at a place called “Gerais”. They present several ways to interact with the Cerrado, basing their reproduction in preservation of this biome. This category includes settlers from land reform and the so called “family farmers” or even “small farmers” and the ones “affected by dams”, terms used by social movements related to “Via Campesina”. 25 To further reflections about their own organization forms and that of traditional peoples and communities I recommend the book “Terras Tradicionalmente Ocupadas (Traditionally Occupied Lands)” by Alfredo Wagner Berno de Almeida (ALMEIDA, 2008) 26 I remember that social scientist Elinor Ostrom who received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 for her studies and analysis related to “economic governance”, largely dedicated to “community management” of common use resources. Ostrom declares that “communities” are able to manage common resources in a way that is more sustainable than the way the Government or private owners do. (OSTROM, 1990) actions to be supported.27 This opens a much wider field of opportunities28, much more consistent with the deforestation reduction targets and the establishment of a more balanced relationship between economic development and environmental preservation with social inclusion. Explaining conflicts and facing them would be the way to go.

27 Here it is important to highlight the need for another change. Instead of being invited to participate in generation of actions where mediations institutions conduct planning and execution, organizations of traditional peoples and communities must be strengthened and lead the process to fight deforestation. Mediation organizations, such as NGOs and research institutions would be responsible for supporting actions planned by the individual manners of organizations from these groups. 28 Themes such as “environmental justice and racism”; “solidary economy”, “food safety”; “reduction of social and gender inequalities”; “sustainable cities”; “field and indigenous education”, “university shares” are already being drafted in actions from these peoples. Bibliographic References Acselrad, H. (2006). Território, localismos e política de escalas. In: H. Acselrad, C. C. Mello, & G. d. Bezerra, Cidade, Ambiente e Política: problematizando a agenda 21 local (pp. 13-32). Rio de Janeiro: Garamond. Almeida, A. W. (2008c). A ideologia da decadência: leitura antropológica a uma história da agricultura do Maranhão. Rio de Janeiro: Fundação da Universidade do Amazonas. Almeida, A. W. (2008b). Antropologia dos Archivos da Amazônia. Rio de Janeiro: Fundação Universidade do Amazonas. Almeida, A. W. (2001). Economia do Babaçu: levantamento preliminar de dados. São Luiz: MIQCB. Almeida, A. W. (2008). Terras de quilombo, terras indígenas, "babaçuais livres", "castanhais do povo", faxinais e fundos de pasto: terras tradicionalmete ocupadas (2ª Edição ed.). Manaus, AM, Brasil: PPGSCA- UFAM. Almeida, A. W., & Silva, M. H. (1998). O Maranhão em Rota de Colisão: Experiencias Camponesas versus Políticas Governamentais. São Luís: CPT. Almeida, A. W., & Sprandel, M. A. (2014). O Congresso Nacional e o desmatamento da Amazônia. Manaus: UEA. Almeida, A. W., Shiraishi Neto, J., & Martins, C. C. (2005). Guerra Ecológica nos Babauçais: o processo de vesatação dos Palmeirais, a elevação do preço de commodities e o aquecimento do mercado de terras na Amazônia. São Luiz: Lithogrf. Fraser, N. (2006). Da redistribuição ao reconhecimento? Dilemas da justiça numa era "pós-socialista". Cadernos de Campo , pp. 231-239. Guedes, A. D. (2013). Lutas por terra e lutas por território nas ciências sociais brasileiras: fronteiras, conflitos e movimentos. In: H. Acselrad, Cartografia Social, terra e território (pp. 41-80). Rio de Janeiro: ETTERN/IPPUR/UFRJ. Leff, E. (2015). Emergência do ambiente e discurso da sustentabilidade. In: Saber Ambiental: Sustentabilidade, Racionalidade, Complexidade, Poder. Petrópolis: Vozes. Londres, F. (2011). Agrotóxicos no Brasil: um guia para ação em defesa da vida. Rio de Janeiro: AS-PTA. Marin, R. E., Teles, E., Cardoso, M. d., & Santos, D. B. (2015). Povos Tradicionais no Arquipélogo do Marajó e Políticas de Ordenamento Territorial e Ambiental. Rio de Janeiro: Casa 8. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. (2011). Plano de ação para a preservação e controle do desmatamento do Cerrado. Brasília: MMA. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. (2014). PPCerrado - Plano de ação para preservação e controle do dematamento e das queimadas do Cerrado 2ª fase (2014-2015). Brasília: MMA. Ostrom, E. (1990). Governning the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action. New York: Cambridge University Press. Schmitt, C. J. (2009). Transição Agroecológica e Desenvolvimento Rural. In: S. Sauer, Agroecologia e os desafios da transição agroecossistemas (pp. 173-198). São Paulo: Expressão Popular. Shiraishi Neto, J. (2007). Direito dos Povos e das Comunidades Tradicionais do Brasil. Manaus: UEA. Silva, L. O. (2008). Terras Devolutas e Latifundio. Campinas: UNICAMP. Souza Filho, C. F., Sonda, C., & Lemos, A. (2015). Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) e Povos Tradicionais. Revista da Faculdade de Direito da UFG , 39, 77-91.