Brazil fines cattle rancher $50 million for destroying Amazon trees
Source: Dairynews.today
A Brazilian cattle rancher has been fined $50 million (4.4 billion rubles) for destroying part of the Amazon rainforest. Additionally, he has been ordered to restore the forest that he cleared, as reported by the online publication Green Queen on August 8.
A federal court in Brazil has frozen the assets of a local cattle rancher, ordering him to pay $50 million in climate compensation for the damage caused to the Amazon rainforest as a result of illegal logging. The case was initiated by the National General Prosecutor's Office on behalf of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), which accused Dirceu Krüger of harming the Amazon. The rancher was clearing land to raise cattle.
The prosecution argued that Krüger harmed the climate by burning vegetation, which directly generates greenhouse gases, and by destroying plants, which meant that the forest could no longer absorb carbon. Furthermore, IBAMA and the General Prosecutor's Office stated that Krüger's actions violated the Paris Agreement and Brazil's international commitments.
Krüger used chainsaws to cut down trees, started fires to clear the land, and then planted grass for cattle grazing. Satellite images revealed the scale of the damage: 5,600 hectares of public land (owned by the federal government and the state of Amazonas).
The funds paid by Krüger will go to the National Climate Change Fund, which finances projects and research aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of the climate crisis.
In addition to the financial penalty, Krüger's assets were frozen, and he was prohibited from transferring his land to third parties, selling or gifting cattle and agricultural products, and renting out chainsaws or other tools used for deforestation. He is also barred from receiving any government finances or tax credits.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), cattle ranching is the primary cause of deforestation in tropical forests, accounting for 80% of forest destruction and 340 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
The prosecution argued that Krüger harmed the climate by burning vegetation, which directly generates greenhouse gases, and by destroying plants, which meant that the forest could no longer absorb carbon. Furthermore, IBAMA and the General Prosecutor's Office stated that Krüger's actions violated the Paris Agreement and Brazil's international commitments.
Krüger used chainsaws to cut down trees, started fires to clear the land, and then planted grass for cattle grazing. Satellite images revealed the scale of the damage: 5,600 hectares of public land (owned by the federal government and the state of Amazonas).
The funds paid by Krüger will go to the National Climate Change Fund, which finances projects and research aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of the climate crisis.
In addition to the financial penalty, Krüger's assets were frozen, and he was prohibited from transferring his land to third parties, selling or gifting cattle and agricultural products, and renting out chainsaws or other tools used for deforestation. He is also barred from receiving any government finances or tax credits.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), cattle ranching is the primary cause of deforestation in tropical forests, accounting for 80% of forest destruction and 340 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
