outubro, 20 2025

By Fábio de Castro, special for WWF-Brazil

Held by WWF-Brazil in preparation for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), Ocupa Panda closed on Friday, October 17, at the organization's headquarters in Brasilia, with a day dedicated to Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) chains. In five panels, representatives of civil society, the private sector and the government discussed ways to expand the contribution of the productive sector to the climate agenda by eliminating deforestation in commodity supply chains. 

With intense programming since last Monday (13), Ocupa Panda mobilized the community engaged in COP30, bringing to light essential discussions for the success of the first Climate Conference held in the Amazon. The closure, dedicated to production chains free of deforestation and conversion, reinforced the relevance of this path to accelerate the drop in environmental devastation rates in Brazil and in the world, towards the goal of zero deforestation. 

The panels discussed topics such as the green trade, focusing on the new relationship between Brazil and China; the traceability of commodity chains as a competitive advantage for companies and the positive impacts and challenges related to sectoral commitments such as the Soy Moratorium and the Conduct Adjustment Agreement (TAC) signed between the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) and slaughterhouses, known as the “Meat TAC”. 

Innovations in green financing models for the recovery chain of degraded pastures were also discussed, involving the promotion of socio-biodiversity production and payments for environmental services. At the end of the event, the Alliance for the Resilience of the Pantanal Headwaters was launched. 

During the event, participants highlighted the creation of a new green axis in international trade, led by Brazil and China. As the largest importer of Brazilian commodities, China is increasingly concerned about the effects of the climate crisis on Brazil's agricultural production, which could compromise food security and cause instability in food prices in the Far Eastern country. 

"A redistribution of the power poles is taking place in the global climate policy. While the United States has abandoned climate discussions and Europe has regressed in its role as the most progressive group in these discussions, Brazil and China are occupying an important space, intelligently and consistently," commented Mauricio Voivodic, Executive Director at WWF-Brazil. 

China is eliminating each of its technological bottlenecks, but has found no way out yet to ensure food security for the next 20 years. This could be an opportunity for Brazil, according to André Guimarães, Executive Director at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). 

“There is a new geopolitics that can represent a different way of relating to nature, and Brazil and China can be precursors to this. We have to do this within a new model, which presupposes the standing forest," said Guimarães. 

Traceability in agriculture

During the event, representatives of the private sector and the Brazilian government presented success stories of traceability models for production chains, such as the SRBIPA livestock monitoring platform in Pará, the System of Inspection and Monitoring of Agribusiness and Native Vegetation (SIFMA-SELO VERDE) in Maranhão, and ABRAPA's SouABR program, which uses blockchain technology, together with the textile chain, to track clothing from the planting of certified cotton to the sale of the final product. 

“The presentations were inspiring. The case of cotton, for example, shows how the private sector can work and that it is possible to have a commodity tracked from end to end, giving transparency to all processes and adding value to the product”, commented Daniela Teston, Director of Corporate Relations at WWF-Brazil. 

For Daniela, however, despite the exemplary initiatives, there are still many challenges regarding the traceability of commodities. An example of this was given by Paulo Pianez, Director of Sustainability at MBRF, one of the largest meat producers and exporters in Brazil.  

"We have more than 1,100 slaughterhouses in Brazil that are dedicated to cattle breeding and only 20% of them have a seal from the federal inspection system - and they have 75% of the market. About 75% of the meat production stays in the domestic market, with zero socio-environmental requirements," said Pianez. 

Sectoral pacts and financing for restoration

Debaters involved with the implementation of two of the most important multisectoral agreements to halt deforestation caused by commodity production - the Soy Moratorium and the Meat TAC - analyzed the history and positive impacts of these initiatives. According to Pablo Majer, Zero Conversion Leader at WWF-Brazil, the exhibitions showed how these agreements brought many advances to the environmental agenda and many benefits to producers, slaughterhouses, traders and the national market, with great international recognition. 

“We are living in a challenging time. On the one hand, we have the context of COP30, talking about a series of environmental actions, the attempt to strengthen the environmental and climate agenda, on the other hand, we have daily attacks on the Soy Moratorium. It is a delicate and complex moment. We have a very clear path here to follow together. It is very important that all actors are involved, the private sector, the public sector, civil society and the productive sector, which is essential for our climate goals,” said Majer. 

With more than 100 million hectares of degraded pastures, Brazil has one of the greatest potentials in the world to restore productivity, reduce emissions and increase climate resilience, pointed out Laís Ernesto Cunha, Senior Conservation Analyst at WWF-Brazil, in a panel that discussed green financing policies and instruments already available and presented field experiences that connect credit, conservation and productivity. 

The panel was attended by members of banks, representatives of public agencies involved in green financing policies and executors of sustainable productive activities. According to Laís, the debate demonstrated that it is possible to transform the liabilities of degraded pastures into assets, integrating public policies, financial instruments and practical field experiences. "Today, talking about increasing production with deforestation means losing credibility. You don't have to cut down any trees to produce more and better. The good news is that there is a way to do this," she stated. 

Recovery of the Pantanal Headwaters 

During the launch of the Alliance for the Resilience of the Pantanal Headwaters, the panelists showed the importance of the region for the Brazilian water and climate security and celebrated the union of companies and organizations that worked under the coordination of WWF-Brazil to strengthen the governance and restoration of this huge Cerrado area that supplies the Pantanal. 

"To work in the recovery of the Pantanal Headwaters is to do the right thing. If we are taking resources from there, we have to return them in the same measure," stated Gabriel Serber, Vice President of Social Impact and Sustainability at Arcos Dorados, company that operates McDonald's restaurants in Latin America and is part of the partnership in the Cerrado. 

Maíra Sugawara, Coordinator of Environmental Sustainability at the Aegea Institute, commented on the importance of works based on scientific data and collaboration between sectors to make a difference in the territory. The company has been working for three years in partnership with WWF-Brazil in the preparation of studies and projects related to the restoration of the landscape in the Pantanal Headwaters area, bringing solutions to face the challenges imposed on sanitation in the region. 

"The partnership with WWF-Brazil brought science and data to our approach and work in the territory. It is not easy to approve large restoration projects in a company board. The private sector likes predictability and legal certainty - and this is built with data," said Maíra. 

ATTENTION!

Daniela Teston, Director of Corporate Relations at WWF-Brazil

"The business sector has a very important role, strengthening the regenerative production chain, such as seed networks and the local bioeconomy, supporting impact technology, maintaining engagement in multisectoral coalitions. More than environmental responsibility, we are talking about intelligent business strategy. Regenerating the Pantanal Headwaters is not only an environmental agenda, it is climate justice and social inclusion. This strategy will only be successful if it is built with those who live and care for the land: traditional communities, rural producers and committed entrepreneurs. Investing in regeneration means investing in the future of our companies, our country and our planet.” 

Paulo Pianez, Director of Sustainability at MBRF 

"Science shows that, to mitigate the risk of the current high degree of degradation in the Pantanal, it is necessary to take care of the Headwaters, in the Cerrado. A fundamental path to recover degraded areas in the Pantanal Headwaters, making them productive again, is to make them profitable and for the producer to be able to mix their economic activity with the restoration chain, which will also generate income. There is no sustainable production if it is not profitable first.” 

Mauricio Voivodic, Executive Director at WWF-Brazil 

“Many people think that China will never incorporate environmental criteria into its commodity purchasing decisions. But we began to learn that China looks very closely at scientific studies on the impacts of deforestation and how it can harm businesses. Large Chinese buyers of meat and soybeans from Brazil began to understand the impacts and began to incorporate environmental criteria, or at least require deforestation-free soy and meat. This whole issue about the green trade is a trend placed in the diplomatic relationship between Brazil and China - and the Chinese will come to COP30 to affirm that this is the trend”. 

André Guimarães, Executive Director at IPAM 

“The priorities at COP30 will be debates on multilateralism, how to advance in implementation, and how to bring the climate agenda closer to people's lives. When we talk about forest, food security, trade, commodities, we are talking about climate. We have already messed with the planet too much and we have reached a moment in which there is no longer any doubt, there is only one way: end deforestation. Taking care of the forest is about maintaining productive capacity and also food prices. We will have to produce more food for a growing population, in fewer areas. This is the equation that is imposed”.  

HOW WWF-BRAZIL OPERATES  

WWF-Brazil is committed to contributing to the construction of a sustainable future in which the country advances towards emission neutrality, with its biodiversity conserved and driven by a fair, inclusive and responsible development model. Our strategy is structured in four pillars:   

• Zeroing deforestation and fostering Nature-Based Solutions.   
• Strengthening the conservation of biodiversity.    
• Protecting rights and promoting the well-being of traditional peoples and communities.    
• Promoting low-impact development.   

OUR ACTIONS IN THE DEFORESTATION AND CONVERSION FREE (DCF) CHAINS AGENDA

WWF-Brazil works in partnership with various sectors and stakeholders to achieve the goal of zero deforestation in natural ecosystems — a fundamental step to keep the global temperature below the critical limit of 1.5°C. To this end, in addition to encouraging the creation of Protected Areas and the demarcation of Indigenous Lands, we encourage the engagement of the private sector, as the growing demand for food and the expansion of agricultural and pasture areas are some of the main drivers of deforestation. 

We base our work on science to replace deforestation with effective strategies for the recovery of degraded pastures, promoting sustainable and responsible agriculture. We also support the development of the so-called "green finance", seeking to positively influence the financial market by highlighting the economic, social and environmental impacts of deforestation.  

Another strategic front is to strengthen the agenda of deforestation and conversion free (DCF) production chains, to unlock the potential of the private sector in contributing to the climate agenda, eliminating deforestation in its commodity supply chains.