Food & Climate
As Brazil prepares to host the COP30 UN Climate Conference in November, the country is working to strengthen efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest and provide funding through a tool called the “Tropical Forest Forever Facility.” This will be one of the conference’s main funding proposals, according to the Brazilian Ambassador to Egypt, Paulino Franco de Carvalho Neto.
In an exclusive interview with “Food & Climate” platform, Neto pointed out that biofuel production in his country does not compete with food.
The ambassador explained this by saying that Brazil has an abundance of water, which is why it produces and exports large quantities of food. He also revealed other details in the following interview:
The Amazon rainforest in Brazil has been subjected to widespread deforestation, but you have made significant efforts to preserve it in recent years. Can you explain the developments in this regard, given the approaching COP30 climate conference?
We know that deforestation is one of the challenges of climate change, and Brazil has vast areas of tropical rainforest, representing 40% of the country’s land area.
We want to strengthen efforts to preserve these forests, and this is our primary goal in light of global climate change.
But I believe the most important thing, not just for Brazil, but for the entire world, is to change the standards of the energy mix. Fossil fuels are widely used worldwide, primarily in developed countries, so it is best for these countries to transition to renewable energy.
Brazil has one of the cleanest energy mixes in the world, with hydropower accounting for a significant portion (up to 70% of the energy mix).
Therefore, the biggest challenge we face is preserving our rainforests.
Brazil has solar and wind energy, but relatively little, so we are calling for the adoption of renewable energy systems as COP30 approaches.
What is driving deforestation in Brazil?
Forest dwellers need livelihoods and sources of income, especially since the population of the Brazilian rainforest is enormous, reaching 23 million.
They want to live, eat, and have jobs, and that is the challenge we face. We must provide them with other jobs and things they can do so that they can use the forests sustainably, and that is what we seek to do.
This requires financing, which is why we introduced the Forest Finance Instrument: “We want to transform the local forest economy from an unsustainable economy to a sustainable one.”
So I reiterate what I said earlier: combating deforestation is our main challenge.
Does the financing mechanism referred to by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during Climate Week, called the “Tropical Forest Forever Facility,” provide private sector financing and offer a return of up to 5% to participants?
Yes.
Do Amazon rainforest dwellers cut down forests for agriculture?
It occurs for many reasons, such as agriculture and access to high-priced timber, but we want to control this, as the timber trade is also illegal.
Brazil produces biofuel from sugarcane. Some experts, and numerous studies, warn that using food sources to produce fuel threatens food security. What is your comment?
Yes, but in Brazil, this is not a problem. Brazil is a vast country with vast lands, so it can produce sugarcane for food and also for ethanol.
This is confirmed by the fact that Brazil is one of the world’s largest food producers.
“We export large quantities of food, thank God. We are different from small countries that must choose between food and fuel production.”
I believe there is legislation for blending biofuel with gasoline. What is the percentage?
Yes, the percentage of ethanol permitted to be blended with gasoline is 25%, which is good because ethanol is produced locally, which lowers fuel prices for consumers.
Brazil has experienced severe droughts in recent years. Will this negatively impact hydroelectric power generation?
Brazil has vast amounts of water compared to countries like Egypt.
Brazil, as a tropical country, receives abundant rainfall, so we are well-positioned to provide the water needed for hydroelectric power generation.