Agriculture: Fávaro questions EU on anti-deforestation law – 05/09/2023 – Market

The Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro (PSD), met this Tuesday (9) with representatives of the Netherlands and Denmark at an event in the United States to question the law passed by the European Parliament that prohibits the sale of products derived from deforestation in forests.

At the end of April, the European Parliament approved a rule that prohibits the sale in the 27 countries of the EU (European Union) of any product derived from deforestation, not just wood, but any crop, such as wood, soy, coffee, cocoa and rubber.

Products that are fed (in the case of soy) or derived from these commodities are also covered in the text, such as leather, chocolate, furniture, charcoal, printed paper products, palm oil derivatives, among others.

“We do not agree with illegal deforestation, we are implementing public policies to combat it, but unilateral measures cannot be adopted, taken by a single parliament”, he says to Sheet.

According to Fávaro, dialogue and diplomacy are needed, and the proposal made sense during the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, which was not committed to the environmental agenda, but the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) administration is open to combating illegal deforestation. , in his words. The ministry did not inform what the prospect of losses for Brazil from the approval of the European law.

Fávaro met with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Food Quality of the Netherlands, Jan-Kees de Goet; and with the Minister of Agriculture of Denmark, Jacob Jansen; on separate schedules. According to him, the European authorities agreed with the Brazilian request and there are still partnerships to close with these countries.

Denmark has stood out as a producer of biological inputs, which are a more sustainable alternative to agriculture than traditional chemicals. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has the capacity to finance equipment and machinery for Brazilian agriculture.

Fávaro traveled to Washington, the US capital, to participate in AIM for Climate, an event that brought together agriculture ministers from around the world with a focus on the environment. The minister also met with the special envoy for the environment at the White House, John Kerry – as he had already done on the American’s visit to Brasília in March.

The Brazilian said he thanked Kerry for the US commitment to get US$ 500 million (R$ 2.5 billion) for the Amazon Fund – which still depends on a difficult approval in the US Congress.

“The promotion of good agricultural practices is very important, sustainability cannot be achieved without resources and Brazil is in no condition to play alone”, he said.

“This also includes inventive production in the Amazon. We need to provide profitability conditions for the 27 million Brazilians in the Amazon, producers of cocoa, rubber, rubber, cosmetics,” he said. “It is not enough to repress those who deforest, it is necessary to value the products of the Amazon.”

Fávaro also called for US support for a coalition of all countries in the Americas to pressure the European Union not to unilaterally restrict the purchase of products from deforestation.

The project approved in the European Parliament gives 18 months for companies to adapt to the new standards, until around September 2024, when the so-called “law on products free of deforestation” comes into effect.

AIM for Climate brought together government representatives to find sustainable alternatives to boost agricultural production. Among others, figures such as Al Gore, former vice president of the United States, farmer and climate activist, participated.

“Climate change continues to have a lasting impact on agricultural practices in all countries, and a strong global commitment is needed to address the challenges and build more sustainable, equitable and resilient systems,” said US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

The event is organized in partnership with the government of the United Arab Emirates.