Ultimately, the impacts of trade agreements reverberate in local communities, in the individual lives of women, men and children, and in the destruction of the unique areas of forest and habitats which surround them.
This briefing summaries the key findings of new research about the likely land use impact of the EU-Mercosur trade deal, published by Brazilian NGO Imazon. The new study adds to the growing body of research which confirms that the EU-Mercosur trade deal would, if implemented, negatively affect forest landscapes in Mercosur countries and Brazil in particular. It goes one step further, asking where the deforestation risk will be highest, with a special focus on Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado regions.
The research team found that many of the areas at greatest risk of deforestation from increased agricultural activity border Indigenous territories that already face regular invasions. This increased pressure will only make it harder for Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples to defend their land and forests.
The briefing also outlines key recommendations for European policymakers. The EU-Mercosur FTA is extremely controversial in Europe, with many actors including the French and German governments, and the new European Trade Commissioner Vladis Dombrovkis recognising that the deal cannot be signed in its current form.
For this trade deal to be consistent with the European Green Deal, as well as international commitments on the climate, forests, labour and human rights, there would need real root and branch reforms both to the structure and content of the trade deal, and to the current forest governance approach in Brazil.
Categories: Briefing Notes, EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement, Brazil