Groups mobilize voters to protect Brazil’s Cerrado savanna

Several organizations in Brazil began a campaign to encourage voters to support candidates who will protect the Cerrado, the country’s second-largest biome.

The coalition includes the National Campaign in Defense of the Cerrado, Fundação Pró-Natureza (Funatura), Instituto Cerrados, Instituto Sociedade População e Natureza (ISPN), and Rede Cerrado. They held a webinar with Indigenous leaders, traditional community representatives, and environmental policy experts to discuss the importance of voting for the Cerrado’s preservation.

Ana Ilda Pavão, a fisherwoman with the Movement of Artisanal Fishers and Fishers, expressed frustration that communities often don’t receive responses from candidates after requesting commitments. Dinaman Tuxá, coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib), described the current moment as a “humanitarian and civilizational crisis” stemming from political decisions, noting that the rise of Bolsonaro’s government initially weakened Indigenous communities but spurred them to increase their involvement in decision-making.

He also pointed out that policies designed to protect the Amazon rainforest are pushing agricultural expansion into the Cerrado, threatening the rights of people who live there. Letícia Camargo, Advocacy Coordinator for Funatura, explained that most members of Congress are white men who represent business interests, largely those of agribusiness. She said that while there is some representation for traditional communities and nature, it amounts to fewer than 30 parliamentarians willing to meet with communities and defend Cerrado issues.

Samuel Caetano, president of the National Council of Peoples and Traditional Communities, warned that the upcoming elections will determine how Brazil sustains its democracy, especially given recent rulings by the Supreme Federal Court. The campaign will launch a website listing candidates who have signed a commitment letter to protect the Cerrado.