Editorial N° 3/2019 Threatened Amazon

Abstract

Wildfires that have destroyed vast areas of the Amazon and attract worldwide attention are just the most visible face of the exploitation and degradation of the world's largest rainforest. Behind the clearing of the forest and fire are several private economic interests that are far from generating any benefit to the Brazilian state or sharing any benefits with society. In most cases, these burnings occur on Union land, to the lawlessness and without any official authorization granted. The fruit of these illegal occupations and activities-whether is wood, ore mined, the grain or animal protein produced-is, as a rule, traded in illegal markets because it is impossible to prove legal origin. They therefore feed a tax-free marketing chain and, in the case of agricultural products, are oblivious to any phytosanitary verification process.