In partnership with the Forest Code Observatory (OCF) and Brazilian State level Environment Agencies, CSF-Brazil has concluded a study on the implementation of Environmental Reserve Quotas (CRAs) in the state of Maranhão (MA), and opportunities in Bahia (BA) and Tocantins (TO). We aim to support MA in the CRAs market implementation and to promote dialogue and experience sharing among MA, BA and TO. The ultimate goal of the study is to promote ecosystem and forest conservation in a more economically efficient and environmentally sound way in the Amazon, Cerrado and Caatinga Brazilian biomes.

Crédito de fotografia: © [Kriss75] / Adobe Stock

What are CRAs? Rural properties in Brazil must maintain a part of their total land area with native vegetation. These areas are called “Legal Reserves” (LR). However, many properties have yet to meet these requirements resulting in a deficit of LR. Established in 2012 by the Forest Code, the CRAs is one of the Brazilian law compliance mechanisms for those who have LR deficit prior to July 2008. The aim is to discourage landlords of native vegetation areas from clearing their properties, by providing the possibility of earning income through its preservation. This market mechanism also has the potential to generate economic incentives, thus becoming a very efficient conservation tool for native vegetation areas with high environmental value.

In December 2018, we launched our technical report "CRAs market in Maranhão: Economic and Environmental Implications of Restricting the Market to Ecological Identity" and our Policy Brief aiming to bring information and a technical support for MA state in the implementation of the CRAs market.

To gather data for our study, we organized a webinar with 12 government representatives of MA, BA and TO states on September 25th, 2018. We presented the results of our analysis on the effects of compensation areas restrictions in different scenarios on the CRAs market in MA. Participants then exchanged experiences and discussed the results of the study, possible trainings and ways of implementing the CRAs market.

In addition, CSF-Brazil is a signatory to the letter published by the OCF on November 11, 2018, requesting the CRAs regulation to the Chief Minister of the Civil House. Click here to download this letter and here read the news on the OCF website. (News and letter are in Portuguese.)

Please, click here to read our full report, here for our Policy Brief, here for the OCF letter, and here for more information about our debate in Brasília.

This project was developed in partnership with the OCF and Brazilian State level Environmental Agencies, and with financial support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).

For more information about CSF-Brazil’s analysis on different CRAs implementation scenarios in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, please click here. Read about another study that aimed to identify the best practices for the efficient operation of the CRAs mechanisms within and among states here.