Agri-Environmental Policies in Brazil

and Perspectives for Evaluation

OECD Workshop on Evaluation of Agri-Environmental Policies

Matheus A. Zanella (matheus.a.zanella@gmail.com)Braunschweig, GER

June 2011

1. Introduction

2. AEPs in the Brazilian context

3. Main AEPs

Outline

� Low Carbon Agriculture Programme (ABC)

� Amazon Fund

� Payment for Environmental Services

� Forestry Code

4. Perspectives for Policy Evaluation

5. Conclusion

AEPs in the Brazilian context

� Term “Agri-Environmental Policy” finds no

correspondence on policy-making or literature

� Using a broad definition, some important � Using a broad definition, some important

policies could be classified as AEPs

� No structural framework or national strategy

(exception is climate change plan – ABC)

incoherence and economic inefficiencies

Information Instruments

EE

Zoning

PlansOrganics

Amazon

Fund Low Carbon

Agriculture

2009

AEPs in Brazil

Economic InstrumentsRegulations

Forestry Code

Cross-

compliance

PlansOrganics

PESPGPM-

Bio

Agriculture

1965/2011

20082003

2010

2008

2000’s 2008

Sources: MAPA, MMA, MDA, MF, BC, Embrapa, BNDES, Conab, Zanella (2011). Elaborated by authors.

Low Carbon Agriculture (ABC)

• Soil quality/protection; addressing adverse events (CC adaptation)

• Reduce carbon emissions; other sustainable resources practices

Environmental Objectives

• Payments based on fixed farm assets and on investments

Type of Measure

• Payments based on fixed farm assets and on investments

• Research/education and technical assistance/extension

• Nationwide and widespread (smallholders to big land owners)

• Eligibility to financing varies, selection is defined by financial agents

Coverage / Eligibility

• Ministries of Agriculture, Agrarian Development and Casa Civil

• Executive Group related to the Climate Change National Policy

Agency / Pol Management

Amazon Fund

• Generic/broad spectrum (capacity building and governance improvement)

• Biodiversity; reduce carbon emissions

Environmental Objectives

• Mostly information instruments

Type of Measure

• Mostly information instruments

• Payments are allowed but connected to the project proposal

• Relatively small, heterogeneous and independent projects

• Eligibility varies, selection is defined during project design

Coverage / Eligibility

• Management is decentralized (project-based). Some external funding

• Funding is coordinated by public-private committee (attached to BNDES)

Agency / Pol Management

• To secure provision of environmental services to water, carbon and

biodiversity

Payments for Environmental Services

Environmental Objectives

• Payments based on land retirement, farming practices, and investments

Type of Measure

• Payments based on land retirement, farming practices, and investments

• Technical assistance, extension and community based measures

• Relatively small, heterogeneous and independent projects

• Eligibility varies, selection is defined during project design

Coverage / Eligibility

• Completely decentralized. National policy only provides assistance in

project design

Agency / Pol Management

• Generic / Broad Spectrum

• Water resources, reduce water pollution, biodiversity

Forestry Code

Environmental Objectives

• Land-use policies

Type of Measure

• Land-use policies

• Regulatory measures

• Nation-wide

• All private properties

Coverage / Eligibility

• Severe problems with enforcement led to intense discussions to reform

current legislation

Negotiations / Legislation

• Project-based monitoring

Amazon

Fund

• Monitoring system under

Policy Monitoring and Evaluation

Low Carbon

Agriculture2010

2009

• Project-based monitoring

(common methodology)

• Logical framework to

conduct ex-ante evaluation

(env. efficacy and eco.

efficiency) and to monitor

funding profile

• Ex-post (2y) Impact

Evaluation is requested for

each project

• Monitoring system under

development

• Establishment of two

“virtual laboratories”

(research networks) to

conduct evaluation studies

• Baseline emissions from

inventory submitted to

UNFCCC, compared to “no

policy situation”

• Enforcement was weak or • Project-based monitoring,

PES

Policy Monitoring and Evaluation

2000’s

Forestry Code1965/2011

• Enforcement was weak or

inexistent until mid 2000’s

• Monitoring varies according

to institutional performance

• Some States started to

implement farms

georeferenced databanks

• Project-based monitoring,

decentralized (stylised

environmental impact

models, georeferenced

data, etc)

• Some projects include ex-

post impact evaluation and

consider counter-factual

(support from WB)

Conclusions

� Relatively new policies (mostly at design stage)

� Variety of plans, programmes, actors, instruments

� Huge space for policy evaluation, development of monitoring protocols, regional and international comparisons, diffusion of best practices

Policy innovationDynamism

Policy incoherenceEconomic inefficiencies

Matheus A. Zanella (matheus.a.zanella@gmail.com)

Consultant, Agri-Environmental Policies

Thank You