Brazil proposal recognizes coffee cultivation for Amazon reforestation

A new legislative proposal, Bill 2764/26, seeks to recognize coffee cultivation as a method for the recomposition and reforestation of altered or degraded areas within the Legal Amazon. The bill proposes amendments to the Forest Code to allow coffee planting in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserves without the mandatory requirement to include other native species.

To qualify as a reforestation method, the project mandates conservationist management practices, including maintaining soil cover, prioritizing biological and cultural methods for pest and disease control, and conserving soil and water. The regulation excludes areas where native vegetation was suppressed after July 22, 2008, or within five years prior to a request, as well as highly sensitive APPs such as spring surroundings and steep slopes.

The proposal aims to provide family farmers and small property owners with access to Pronaf credit lines, environmental service payments, and carbon markets. Proving good-faith possession could be facilitated through Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) enrollment and self-declaration. Author Deputy Roberto Duarte stated the goal is to reconcile environmental protection with sustainable coffee development for small producers in the North region.