This event is hosted by the Oxford Centre for Tropical Forests
Speaker: Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, Visiting Research Associate, Oxford Centre for Tropical Forests and Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.
Abstract: Brazil is among the 10 most important countries of the world as regards size, population and economy. It has the largest reservoir of surface fresh water and biodiversity of the planet and is among the most important GHG emitters. The economy of the country has grown in recent years and Brazil is a country of opportunities and contradictions. Agribusiness is responsible for around 40% of the national GDP and exports. The country is among top producers and exporters of many agricultural commodities and has plans to increase its production and cultivated area. On the other hand, deforestation and land use changes are the most important drivers of GHG emissions. The Forest Code is a piece of the national legislation that deals with the conservation of forest on private land. It is now under review in Brazil and may be significantly changed. A version was approved in the Deputies Chamber and will be voted on by the Senate. Congress representatives have had difficulties to develop a proposal that joins interests of Environmentalists and Landowners and agribusiness leaders. The Seminar will analyse this situation and the possible solutions to match conservation and production in Brazil.
Biography: Luís Fernando graduated in Agronomy in 1993 at the University of São Paulo (Brazil). He got his Master 's Degree in Environmental Engineering in 1996 and concluded his PhD in Crop Sciences in 2003, also at the University of São Paulo, but with activities at Purdue University (USA) and ICRAF Southeast Asia (Indonesia). He joined the Brazilian NGO IMAFLORA in 1996, to launch the Agricultural activities of the organization. In 2003 he became IMAFLORA´s Deputy Executive Director and he acted as Executive Director from 2005 to 2010. He has been involved in the institutional development, management and strategic planning of the organisation. He has participated in the development and implementation of socioenvironmental standards and certification systems such as the FSC, the Sustainable Agriculture Network and the ISEAL Alliance. In Brazil he has directly participated in the creation of the Soy Moratorium and other civil society initiatives to improve governance and transparency in public policies and the private sector.