An area planted with eucalyptus trees, not native to the Amazon, stands next to native forest areas on farms in the rural region of the Paragominas municipality, in Para state, Brazil, May 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil on Thursday unveiled a plan for the recovery and sustainable use of the country's forests, including developing forest production chains and public policies to promote a forest economy.

The Forest + Sustainable Plan, presented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, will take effect on Dec 1, with such measures as planting commercial forests for non-timber products and rehabilitating degraded areas by creating agroforestry systems, which make the most of the soil by planting both trees and agricultural products.

The forest development agenda will be reinforced through programs that establish cooperation between the different sectors and actors involved in the restoration and improvement of forest biodiversity

Published in the Government Gazette, the plan also provides for actions to support environmental regularization in agricultural production units, through measures that allow agricultural-livestock and forestry integration, in addition to supporting the development of seed banks and nurseries.

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The forest development agenda will be reinforced through programs that establish cooperation between the different sectors and actors involved in the restoration and improvement of forest biodiversity.

The Forest + Sustainable Plan must work together with the public policies of other bodies, as well as dialogue with the forest recovery and management actions developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company.

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The Rural Environmental Registry, the Environmental Regularization Program and the Payment for Environmental Services Program are also included in the actions to promote these public policies among rural owners, who will also receive support for the maintenance and recovery of the Permanent Preservation Areas and the protection of Legal Reserve areas.