Brazil Designates 668,000 Hectares of Amazon for Sustainable Use

New Amazon Reserves Support Sustainable Forest Products

On September 8, the Brazilian government formally created four new sustainable development reserves within the Amazon rainforest, an initiative signed into decree by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

These reserves encompass more than 668,000 hectares (1.65 million acres) and operate under a sustainable-use model, which permits local residents to remain on the land and extract forest products.

The primary objective, as stated by Minister of Environment and Climate Change João Paulo Capobianco, is to enable the paving of the BR-319 highway while ensuring environmental protection and promoting sustainable economic development.

Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, a federal agency under the environment ministry, will manage these protected areas.

Highway Paving and Deforestation Outlook

The establishment of these reserves is a response to concerns surrounding the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway, a route connecting Manaus and Porto Velho. This 339-kilometer middle section, largely impassable during the rainy season, was originally constructed in the 1970s.

Conservationists warn that fully paving the highway could lead to increased deforestation in one of the Amazon's most intact regions. Speculation alone regarding the highway's repaving contributed to a 144% surge in deforestation between 2019 and 2022.

Minister Capobianco stated that deforestation had subsequently fallen 73% between 2022 and 2025, with a further 43% reduction targeted by July 2026.

Enforcement Challenges for Sustainable Use

Beyond the core reserves, the decrees also designate buffer zones around three of the four largest areas, adding another 109,718 hectares (271,119 acres) under some level of protection. However, these buffer zones may still permit mining activities.

Suely Araújo, a senior public policy specialist at the Climate Observatory, expressed concerns regarding the effective implementation of these new conservation units. She noted that the Chico Mendes Institute's budget for protected areas has not seen an increase, raising questions about its capacity for robust enforcement on the ground. The success of the sustainable-use model hinges on adequate resources and demonstrated enforcement mechanisms.

Implications for Asia's Forest Product Sourcing

For Asian buyers of building materials, interiors, and FF&E, Brazil's commitment to sustainable development reserves aims to create a source for certified timber and other bio-based materials from the Amazon. This initiative could diversify global supply chains for sustainably managed forest products.

Procurement teams in Asia should specifically request certifications like FSC or PEFC when sourcing timber from the Amazon region, verifying material origin through established tracking systems. This ensures compliance with evolving sustainability standards and supports the stated goals of responsible resource management from Brazil.