Mato Grosso farmer ordered to restore Amazon land in indigenous territory

A federal court in Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, has ordered a farmer to restore 145.81 hectares of degraded Amazon rainforest located within the Marãiwatsédé Indigenous Territory. The ruling, following an action by the Federal Public Ministry, found that the producer engaged in illegal soybean cultivation on land that had been formally embargoed by environmental authorities.

Investigations revealed a history of infractions, including a 2008 Ibama inspection that resulted in fines totaling R$ 7.86 million. In 2010, further inspections found active soybean planting in the embargoed area, leading to additional fines and the seizure of 47,000 bags of illegally harvested grain. In addition to the environmental restoration mandate, the defendant is prohibited from conducting activities incompatible with ecological recovery and must pay compensation for collective moral damages.