Instituto Brasileiro de Florestas

In an interview given to the IBFLORESTAS, Dr. Luiz Mauro Barbosa, general director of the Botanic Institute of Sao Paulo, speaks about the importance of the environmental compensation


 

IBF - How do you see the importance of the environemtal compensation projetcs (plant compensation)?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - I consider environemtal compensation as a great advance in the public policies, specially to the plant compensation. Since its legal implementation, there have been a lot of advances in improving the compensatory advances with native species, specially regarding to the quality of the reforested, both quantitatively and qualitatively (specific and genetic diversity).

IBF - In your opinion, has the public ministry effectively acted in charging this environmental compensation by the enterprises that somehow cause impact to the environment?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - I do not follow integrally the public ministry actions, but I believe that the Resolution SMA 08/08 gives technical basement to their actions and it has given an important direction to the restoring actions in Sao Paulo. In the cases that the public ministry associates projects approval to meet the SMA 08/08 in Sao Paulo (the majority), it was verified an important advance on its performance and also a facilitation in applying the compensation and on its inspection.

IBF - How do you evaluate the environemtal compensation project that has been developed by the Rodoanel construction?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - Excelent, by the regional flora point of view. Besides the works which involve more knowledge about the flora of Sao Paulo on the region of the job, the plant rescue ( pioneer in this dimension), the compensatory reforestation, based on the IBt (SMA 8/8) and proper 'tools' as a key of decision making, lists of species in occurrence and forest nurseries in the region, for example.
To get an idea, around 80% of the 1016 ha stablished for the compensatory reforestation has been planted as a condition to get the Rodoanel operation license - southern stretch.


IBF - Recently, some reports about "Seedlings blackout", in other words, due to the need to meet the environemtal laws by the enterprises, it would happen an increase in seeking for native seedlings and seed and the nursies would not be ready to meet all the demand. Have you ever heard about this term in Sao Paulo?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - I have never heard the term "Seedlings blackout" in Sao Paulo, but I have heard conversations on the subject of a shortage of seedlings and seeds. I do not believe that it is happening today. In a survey of about 114 nurseries, held in the first quarter of 2009, we have the information of 31 million native species seedlings production per year, with installed capacity, a number estimated by the nurseries, to a 56 million seedlings production. In other words, there is a idle capacity of 25 million seedling production per year.Since the first version of the resolution, in 2001, it has been a great increase in species diversity commercialized by the nurseries and also a considerable increase on the number of native species seedlings producers.
Moreover, in the works of Rodoanel - southern stretch, the seedlings offer by the forest nurseries has been quite frequent.

IBF - The Botanic Institute of SP has been a reference in giving technical basement to elaborate laws like the SMA 8/8. How do you see that?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - In fact, various projects linked to public policies have been subsidized many resolutions of the Department of the Environment (SMA in portuguese), that has law effect, with guiding policies of the heterogeneous reforestation process in the State of Sao Paulo (SMA 21/01, 47/03 and 08/08 resolutions).The researches are directed to subsidize the evaluation of the environmental impacts or resulting in more efficient parameters, standards and procedures to the environemtal planning and licensing. Scientific investigations in public policy projects developed by the Botanic Institute, with the support of FAPESP, sought to evaluate the efficiency of the reforestation projects with native seedlings implanted throughout the State of Sao Paulo, in the later 90's. It was found a warning situation about the biological diversity loss and the 'decline' status of the induced reforestations throught the last 15 years.
The reserach indicates that , among the 98 monitored areas due to forest restoration, in a total of approximately 2,500 ha, around 300 tree species have been use, of which 50% used in only 3 projects and 30 species have been more frequently used in 26% of the projects. The majority of the areas used around only 30 species, and gerenally the new ones, which 2/3 of them on the first stages of the secundary succession. Therefore, they have relatively short life cicles (10 to 20 years).
Of around 70 of the nurseries consulted in that time, it was verified that round 590 native tree species were produced, but most of them focused their productions in an approximately amount of 30 species ( the same ones). Such findings have spelled the use of low floristic and genetic diversity of the populations, and made the SMA edit the SMA 21 (11/21/2001), improved by the SMA 47/03 and by the SMA 08/08, that stablish minimal criteria to reforestation projects, due to licensing realized by the SMA such as the Restoration Plan of Degradated Area by Mining, Preliminary Assessment Reports (RAP), Environmental Impacts studies (EIA), Terms of Adjustment of Conduct (TAC).

IBF - What are the advances that have happened after the promulgation of this law?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - I don't have doubt that the requirements included on the 08/08 Resolution, with law effect, due to the simple fact of directing correctly the reforestations and already have surpassed the initial reactions and impacts of the action, it's today the main strategy of the State to make possible the diversified seedlings production. Nowadays, the big enterprises with environmental liabilities promote the demand and the forest nurseries of Sao Paulo meet the demand.The demands almost always bjectives to environmental conformity and are related to the need of producing in a ecologically correct way ( ISO 14000 series or ecolabels) to the competitiveness of products from the global market. There are multiples examples of enterprises that are are premised on the SMA 8/8 resolution, when acquiring seedlings.This practice is already a routine in big enterprises.
On the other hand, for the small rural producers, the purchase of seedlingsalso involves small areas and the problem is better absorbed with technical directions, objecting to other aspects that implant the diversity through the natural regeneration, sowing or the forest enrichment, among others.There is also a "environmental suitability" strategy on small and big properties, by adjusting the behavior, where different forms of propagules are used (seeds and seedlings existing in the property). Finally, there are a lto of strategies that can be recommended, it almost always depends on the situation.
The review of procedures and the facilitation in applying them are essential to make advances happen.The experience of Sao Paulo has shown that the 'supply and demand law' is really efficient in the diversified seedlings production, where the social, economic and environmtal gains are the greatest encouragement for its implementation.

IBF - Do you believe that other States should adopt it? Why?

Dr. Luiz Mauro -Yes, adjusting the local reality, starting from the diagnosis about the degradet areas and scientific researches that can facilitate its implementation.


IBF - Do you believe that this law somehow resrict the seedlings offer, once that it requires a number of species to be available on the market?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - On the contrary. The orientaded resolutions, such as the SMA 47/03, SMA 48/04 and SMA 08/08, adopted on the Sao Paulo State, have enlarged the search for differentiated and endangered species and stimulate the investment in crop seeds and seedlings (including conservation areas - UC's). They also develop more suitable models to every reforestation situation, including manegement and natural regeneration techniques (natural perch and artificial bank and seed rain, crops in total area etc.)
I also believe in the need of training pickers,producers and nursery programs, regarding to the seeds collection and seedlings production, mainly directed to small producers. However, we know that is necessary to advance on the question about the standardize the process of crop seeds and seedlings. Currently, the process is being debated by the Technical Committee of Seeds and Seedlings. responsible to stablish norms complementary to the nº 50.889 decree of the New Law of Seeds ( 10.711 law). Through this process, it is intended to define the requirements, necessary to the accreditation of enterprises, seeds collectors, seedlings producers and others who are involved, and also stablish the certification process basement.
However, some actions - called 'affirmatives' - already can be stablished and can be proposed in a way to promote the 'accredited collectors' implementation, capacitation programs and the own protocol definition: to elaborate procedure protocol of the technology about to be adopted in the seedlings and seeds production process (definition,criteria and patterns). Finally, there are a lot of perspectives, including the use of more efficient public policies on the application of reviewing and the legislation the environment. Moreover, it causes the motivation and the competitivity of the consumer market, related to ecologically corret production and to the 'quality labels'.

IBF - Is it necessary to be more nurseires and enable them in the Sao Paulo State? Are the current nurseries supplying all the demand?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - According to what is already commented on the question 4, there is a idle capacity of 25 million seedlings production. The own market is the great regulator. According as the resolutions direct to the species diversity, they are solicited, and this stimulate the nurseries to produce them.Another indicative of the power of the market law is the incrase of the nurseries number producing native species. On our survey, in teh begining of 2009, among 107 interviewed nurseries, 62% (72 nurseires) started their activities with native tree species, less than 20 years ago.

IBF - In your opinion, how do you see enterprises such as the IBFLORESTAS that work with environmental compensation projects?

Dr. Luiz Mauro - Though I know just a little about works of enterprises such as the IBFLORESTAS, that work with environmental compensation projects, the acting of them seems not just very important, it's also essential to incorporate in that projects the latest techniquesand concepts about the forest restoration, and the full attendance of the relevant environmental legislation. As occurs in every sectors of activity, works of such responsibility must count on qualified professionals and aware about the environmental compensation importance, and not just complying with a legal pending. Also, it have to be occur where can not be profit driven, as is the case of IBFLORESTAS.



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