50 Stories: Conserving Brazil

On April 29, 2011, WWF celebrated 50 years of environmental conservation. Join us as we highlight 50 stories in 50 days, looking back at what we’ve achieved together and looking forward to another 50 years.
Samba, sunshine, carnival, fantastic football … Even if you’ve never set foot on South American soil, you’ll know that Brazil is a wonderfully vibrant country.
Its diverse natural habitats are every bit as vibrant as its pulsing cities.  From the amazing Amazon to sublime savannas, we help protect Brazil’s awe-inspiring variety of life.

Butterflies, Amazonas, Brazil (c) Zig-Koch/WWF
What’s at stake?
Brazil is a country that’s developing fast. The needs of wildlife and ecosystems are often at odds with this economic development.
The forests, grasslands and wetlands of the world’s fifth largest country have come under huge strain over the last few decades.
The story so far
We’re working at every level to make sure Brazil’s economic development doesn’t happen at the expense of its priceless natural resources.
A symbol of our success to date is the golden lion tamarin. Our campaign in the 1980s helped bring this popular monkey back from near extinction by drawing attention to the loss of its home, the Atlantic Forest. Only 7% of the original forest still stands, but we’re working hard to protect what remains, and restore more of it.
In the Brazilian Amazon, we’ve helped to more than double the area of rainforest under protection over the last decade, creating more than 250,000 sq km of national parks and nature reserves – an area the size of the UK.
And, since 2003, we’ve worked with organic cattle ranchers in the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, home to a staggering variety of plants and other wildlife. Cattle ranching is one of the biggest causes of deforestation in the Amazon and other parts of Brazil. Around 100,000 cattle are now raised on land that’s managed organically.
 
Did you know?
Brazil is the second largest soy producer in the world (after the United States). WWF supports the Round Table on Responsible Soy to help reduce the environmental impact of this massive industry.
Facts and stats

  • 87% – proportion of the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, still in pristine condition – but it’s under threat from expanding agriculture
  • 250,000 sq km– area of the Brazilian Amazon protected over the last decade
  • One billion – number of trees our Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign aims to save

What’s next?
In the state of Acre, our Sky Rainforest Rescue partnership is supporting local efforts to preserve forests and promote sustainable development. It’s helping communities make a living from forest resources like rubber and Brazil nuts. People who agree to conserve the forest on their land will also receive payments for the ecological services it provides, including storing carbon.
Our aim is to save 1 billion trees and protect around 3 million hectares from deforestation. But even more importantly, we’re creating a model that we hope will be followed in other forests around the world.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_twZcsNVsmA[/youtube]

What you can do
A number of retailers have committed to source food products including meat, soy, palm oil and others in a way that doesn’t contribute to deforestation. Find out what your retailer is doing: if they’re not already taking action, ask them to start.
Buy recycled or FSC-certified paper and FSC-certified timber.
 
Be part of the celebration!