OFF-SITE LEGAL FOREST RESERVE IN GOIÁS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC AND

Resumen

Approximately 47% of the Cerrado biome, one of the world´s biodiversity hotspot, have been already converted. In Goiás, the only State thoroughly within the Cerrado limits, around 63% of the original vegetation cover have been replaced by cultivated pasture and agriculture fields. Unfortunately, most of the (still ongoing) deforestation has taken place in disagreement with what the Forest Code determines. At the same time, government protected areas represent about only 1% of the State area. Within these circumstances, the use of economic instruments, among them the off-site legal forest reserve approach, may become an important mechanism regarding the protection of the vegetative cover and agglomeration of the remnant vegetation fragments. Thus, in this paper we discuss some of the issues related to the simulation of legal reserve markets in Goiás, particularly those concerning the scales and scope of the analysis, as well as a variety of spatial and regulation scenarios in which the transactions may take place. Finally, and taking into account the Protected Areas State System (SEUC), we present a set of actions and strategies aiming at: a) the SEUC consolidation and expansion, b) the definition of legal mechanisms and policies for the implementation of a trading system, and c) the development of a territorial and environmental management system.