Cultural Rights General Question 3:

Several widespread beliefs and practices in Brazilian society continue to hinder nature conservation.
A World Resources Institute (WRI-Brazil) report identifies six key structural barriers explaining ongoing forest degradation: forests are treated as political capital and bargaining tools in patronage systems; the economy still values trees more dead than alive, linking “development” to logging, cattle ranching, and mining; conservation lacks financial incentives; insecure land tenure excludes Indigenous and traditional communities from decision-making even though they occupy only a fraction of their rightful territory; environmental governance is fragmented among federal, state, and municipal levels; and laws, though progressive, are undermined by corruption and weak enforcement.
Beyond institutional failures, cultural attitudes perpetuate destructive myths. Research by the Capitals Coalition notes that political opponents of Indigenous land demarcation spread the slogan “too much land for too few Indians.” In fact, Indigenous Lands cover 13.5 % of Brazil’s territory, shelter one-fifth of Amazonian species, store 13 gigatons of carbon, and maintain more vegetation than adjacent areas. This prejudice delegitimizes Indigenous territories, fuels land grabbing and violence, and accelerates deforestation. Another widespread harmful practice is improper waste disposal. According to Brasil Escola, roughly 20 million Brazilians lack garbage collection, leading to waste accumulation in forests, rivers, and vacant lots, which causes flooding and pollution. The same source highlights that agricultural expansion, burning, and urban growth are central causes of biodiversity loss across Brazilian biomes.
To reverse these trends, deep cultural change is required. The WRI recommends reshaping the narrative that a forest’s worth depends on its conversion into resources, emphasizing instead the economic role of ecosystem services; building political coalitions that defend forests; and securing funding for conservation. The Capitals Coalition stresses that guaranteeing territorial rights for Indigenous and traditional peoples is essential to maintain vegetation and biodiversity—thus, the “too-much-land” myth must be dismantled, and these groups recognized as allies of conservation. Brasil Escola underscores cultural and educational strategies such as expanding environmental education, promoting conscious consumption, recycling, reforesting degraded lands, adopting sustainable farming practices, and increasing renewable-energy use.
In short, the most urgent cultural transformations include:
• Valuing the living forest — abandoning the frontier mentality that equates progress with clearing vegetation and integrating the economic and spiritual worth of ecosystems into decision-making.
• Strengthening Indigenous and traditional territorial rights — combating rhetoric that delegitimizes their lands and recognizing that their stewardship sustains biodiversity and carbon stocks.
• Promoting environmental education and responsible consumption — raising awareness of the impacts of deforestation, fires, and waste, encouraging behaviors that reduce pressure on natural resources.
• Improving governance and enforcement — overcoming institutional fragmentation, combating corruption, and ensuring that environmental laws are effectively implemented.
• Financing conservation — creating economic instruments that reward communities and landowners who protect ecosystems.
Together, these cultural and institutional shifts can transform how Brazilian society perceives nature—moving from exploitation toward reciprocity—and build the foundation for lasting protection of the country’s natural resources and biodiversity.