Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva looks set to approve a bill that is due to transfer an area of public land – estimated to be around 670,000 square kilometres (259,000 square miles) – into private hands.

The government originally introduced what is called “Provisional Measure 458″ as a way of bringing security to small farm owners in the Amazon region. This bill target mainly areas of the “Legal Amazon”, Brazil's largest socio-geographic area.
This Bill has angered groups and researchers (as me, of course!) that are raising major concerns and coming in for significant criticism within society. They say the proposal amounts to an amnesty for land-grabbers, and that the original measure has been altered by Congress in a way that will only serve to encourage deforestation.

The report from Greenpeace, Slaughtering the Amazon, reveals the devastating impacts cattle ranching is having on the climate, biodiversity and local communities.

Environmental groups in Brazil are encouraging people to sign a petition and try to change Lula’s mind.Please, click here and let’s try to do so!
If you want to know more about this Bill, click here for a full article from BBC.

Image credit: Rex Features

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