The importance of local people and institutional arrangements for forest concessions in Brazil

Abstract

The advent of forest concessions in the Brazilian Amazon generated the expectation of an increase in the supply of legal timber and concomitant conservation of public forests not yet reached. The aim of this article was to analyze Brazil’s experience with forest concessions for private companies since the approval of the Public Forest Management Act (LGFP), Act 11.284/2006, from the perspective of local institutional arrangements. We analyzed documentation related to the implementation of the LGFP combined with information obtained through direct observation and interviews in the field. It was observed that the challenge of guaranteeing rights to local populations has created legal uncertainty for the actors involved. This compromised the continuity of forest management operations already granted and the advancement of new concession processes. Establishing more favorable institutional arrangements will be key for the sustainable management of legal timber to contribute to changing the sector and its stigmas.