Amazon deforestation falls to record low in Brazil
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Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna experienced deforestation decreases of 41.8% and 23.8% respectively between August 2025 and July 2026, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).
This represents the largest drop in deforestation since monitoring began in 1988. Cláudio Angelo, coordinator of international policy at Climate Observatory, believes President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is successfully working towards his commitment to eliminate deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
Angelo explained that effective public policies, field intelligence, and remote sensing technologies allow the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) to identify and embargo illegal deforestation, financially discouraging further destruction. Angelo argues that completely ending deforestation requires a shift in the economic model of the Amazon region, which currently relies heavily on federal funding, beef, and soybeans. He stated the region’s economy is still largely based on predatory extraction, often requiring forest removal for agriculture.
He suggests investing in sustainable practices, including responsible mining in already-degraded areas, sustainable forestry, and the development of sociobiodiversity products like açaí, which can be more profitable than soybeans in certain areas. Angelo also noted a general lack of long-term development planning for the Amazon, describing a pattern of exploitation where the region is used to meet national needs, like hydroelectric power and agricultural land, without considering the well-being of its residents.
He advocates for a strategic vision that prioritizes the people of the Amazon.
