Forest management in Brazil involves different institutions and is shared between the federal, state and municipal management spheres. In the federal government, responsibility is divided among five institutions.
Source: preparation by the Brazilian Forest Service.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA)
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change acts in the formulation and coordination of strategic environmental policies, supervising the actions of the various federal, state and municipal agencies. Thus, it coordinates environmental protection efforts and articulates actions with other government agencies, NGOs and civil society. At the federal level, the MMA supervises the activities of Ibama, ICMBio and the Brazilian Forest Service, ensuring that actions are integrated and effective for the conservation of forest resources. Therefore, it is the highest body responsible for the policy of preservation and conservation of ecosystems, biodiversity and forests, as well as for the management and sustainable use of forest resources (Decree no. 11.349/2023).
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is responsible for the management of public policies to stimulate agriculture, for the promotion of agribusiness and for the regulation and standardization of services linked to the sector. In Brazil, agribusiness includes small, medium and large rural producers and brings together activities of supplying goods and services to agriculture, agricultural production, processing, transformation and distribution of products of agricultural origin to the final consumer. Thus, Mapa seeks to integrate the marketing, technological, scientific, environmental, and organizational aspects of the productive sector under its management, in addition to managing economic and financial policy for agribusiness. By integrating sustainable development and competitiveness, Mapa aims to ensure food security for the Brazilian population and the production of surpluses for export, strengthening the national productive sector and promoting Brazil's insertion in the international market.
Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama)
The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources is the agency linked to the MMA that executes federal environmental policies, being responsible for controlling compliance with environmental legislation and for the environmental licensing and inspection of Brazilian forests, in addition to the application of legislative and fiscal penalties (Law no. 7.735/1989). Ibama acts directly in the application of fines and embargoes, in addition to inspecting and monitoring activities that may cause environmental impacts, having an important role in the field in combating illegal deforestation and the misuse of natural resources.
Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio)
The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation is the agency linked to the MMA responsible for proposing, implementing, managing, protecting, supervising and monitoring the Nature Conservation Units instituted by the Federal Government. Thus, ICMBio has the role of protecting and conserving biodiversity, in addition to promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. In addition, the agency also promotes and executes programs for research, protection, preservation and conservation of biodiversity and environmental education, and promotes and executes programs for public use of protected areas where these activities are allowed (Law no. 11.516/2007).
Brazilian Forest Service (SFB)
The Brazilian Forest Service is the agency linked to the MMA responsible for generating information, training and promotion in the forest area, in addition to managing federal public forests for the sustainable production of goods and services, fostering and managing forest concessions in public areas. Created by the Law on the Management of Public Forests for Sustainable Production (Law no. 11.284/2006) and currently regulated by Decree no. 11.349, of January 1, 2023, the SFB has a wide set of attributions, reinforcing its central role in the management and promotion of forest sustainability in the country.
The SFB is in charge of fostering sustainable forestry practices, both for timber and non-timber products, and supporting the recovery of native vegetation, as well as the implementation of forest plantations and agroforestry systems on a sustainable basis. It also promotes the sustainable management of forests for the production of environmental goods and services, developing forest production plans compatible with social and economic demands. In addition, it develops and manages the National Forest Inventory (IFN) and the National Register of Public Forests (CNFP), in addition to promoting the raising of financial resources, both national and international, to support its activities. It also manages the National Forest Information System (SNIF) and the Rural Environmental Registry System (SiCAR), integrating data related to rural properties and territorial, environmental and economic planning. Other important functions of the SFB are to support the implementation of environmental regularization programs, manage forest concessions in public areas and manage the National Forest Development Fund (FNDF), which supports training, research and technical assistance initiatives in forest activities.