FOREST CODE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PAYMENT: A CASE STUDY BASED ON CARBON REDUCTION EMITTED AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION UNITS

Abstract

With the revision of the Forest Code, Law no. 12.651, of May 25, 2012, one of the discussions that has been highlighted is the implementation of a Payment for Environmental Services (PSA), program for conservation areas. This paper aims to present a PSA proposal for a family farm property in Esperança do Sul, RS, based on the reduction of carbon emitted and systemic approach of agricultural production units, in the context of compliance with the Forest Code in force in Brazil. Initially a documentary research on PSA, Brazilian Forest Code and the specificities of the properties of the familiar agriculture in this scenario was carried out, and a case study was chosen. A family farm was selected in the municipality of Esperança do Sul, RS, which requires a permanent preservation area and has a legal reserve area greater than that required by the Forest Code. In this property was made the mapping of the area, on-site visit to observe the native forest and survey of information with the owner. Based on this information and those obtained in the documentary research, the calculation of carbon conservation and a diagnosis of the production systems based on the systemic approach were carried out. The case study pointed to the importance of a PSA in family farming properties, based on the existing conservation area, avoided carbon emissions in the case of deforestation, and the low cost in relation to a possible recovery of the area. For family farming, the PSA could stimulate the conservation of natural resources, which is a lower cost than the forest recovery.