Climate and the Cerrado: Community-led Strategies vs. Carbon Markets

This event explores the climate, biodiversity, and human rights risks caused by the expansion of agribusiness in Brazil’s Cerrado – a globally important but underrepresented biome. It highlights the role of local and Indigenous communities in protecting ecosystems, and examines how science-based and community-led strategies can offer real solutions for climate and territorial justice.
A demonstration of an investigative ARD documentary by award-winning journalist Daniel Harrich will illustrate the impacts of land use change in the Cerrado and the controversial role of carbon offset projects in facilitating land grabbing and ecosystem degradation, often under the guise of climate protection. Furthermore, key findings from the German government-funded ECOSIPAS research project will offer insights into the Cerrado’s climate-relevant ecosystem services – such as carbon storage, water regulation, and agricultural resilience – and how they are threatened by industrial agriculture.
Afterwards, speakers from civil society, academia, and community leadership will explore pathways for sustainable Cerrado governance in a panel discussion. They will critically assess carbon markets and spotlight rights-based, community-centered approaches that strengthen climate action, protect biodiversity and uphold land rights.

Speakers
André Alves de Souza, Center for Alternative Agriculture in Northern Minas Gerais (CAA/NM)
Daniel Harrich, Journalist, Director and Film Producer
Prof. Klemens Augustinus Laschefski, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Darr, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences
Anika Schroeder, Misereor
Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Deutsche Umwelthilfe