Brazil initiatives target Cerrado protection and indigenous land rights

Efforts to protect Brazil's Cerrado biome and traditional territories are gaining momentum through new political commitments and legal discussions. The #VotePeloCerrado campaign has launched a ‘Carta-Compromisso com o Cerrado e seus Povos’ for the 2026 elections. The document outlines eight central commitments, including the demarcation of indigenous lands, the titling of quilombola territories, and combating deforestation and land grabbing.

The Cerrado is vital for Brazil's water and food security, supplying eight of the country's twelve major hydrographic regions. However, MapBiomas data indicates that over half of its native vegetation has been destroyed, with 652,197 hectares lost in 2024 alone. Additionally, 91% of the biome's hydrographic basins have seen a reduction in natural water surfaces over the last four decades.

In response to these environmental and social pressures, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) held a national meeting in Aracaju to discuss legal strategies for protecting indigenous and traditional communities. The forum addressed challenges such as land regularization, the impacts of mining, and the legal complexities following Law 14.701/2023. Discussions also focused on rising criminality in traditional territories and the need for integrated preventive inspection to safeguard these regions.