2 part interview with Manageira Unger(part 1, part 2), Harvard law professor and now minister for stategic affairs heading up the Institutue for Applied Research (IPEA), talking about the Sustainable Amazon Programme (PAS).
The programme is designed to make the Amazon a viable commerical space for the whole of Brazil whilst attempting to stem deforestation and foster a type of sustainable development for the region.
He calls for a clear distinction between the Amazon and the Cerrado, remarking that logging is the main activity of the Amazon and needs to be moved into scientific realm of intellectual property and biodiversity. The Cerrado, meanwhile, presents an opportunity to recoup unused pasture for high value agricultural use, intensive cattle farming and biofuel cultivation. Brazil could double its land use, triple its production without touching a single tree(!).
its 7 main tenets:
- Land reform
- Policy aimed at halting deforestation
- Help for small scale producers
- Reorganization of agriculture and animal farming
- Boosting industrial capacity
- Building transport infrastructure
- Science, capacity and education
