Brazil granted amnesty for illegal deforestation under business pressure

Evidence

Brazilian lawmakers passed a law granting amnesty to landowners who deforested areas illegally and opened up huge new areas of Amazon forest for farming and ranching (Romero, 2012). During the controversy over this Amazon deforestation, one legislator—who also is the president of the agribusiness trade organization—denounced international environmental groups for trying to “paralyze the growth of Brazilian agribusiness” (Romero, 2012). However, with support of the scientific community, the press, entertainers, some corporate leaders, and environmentalists enlisting the popular culture via social media, President Dilma Rousseff vetoed certain portions of the bill deemed too favorable to farmers and ranchers. Despite protests from some environmentalists who thought the bill was still too lenient, it became law (Boadle, 2012). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2534

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Supports the Grafting & Growth piece: states can legally forgive deforestation as part of the political economy of trees.