Brazilian Forest Code (2012)

Brazil’s 2012 Forest Code introduced controversial changes that raised concerns about their impact on Amazon deforestation. In particular, Article 15 allows Amazon states to reduce the legal reserve requirement from 80% to 50% if more than 65% of their territory is protected by indigenous lands or conservation units. The legislation passed by Congress was criticized for leaving the Amazon and other ecologically important areas without adequate protection. It is worth recalling that Brazil’s first Forest Code, enacted in 1965, required landowners in the Amazon to keep between 35% and 80% of their property under native vegetation.