Políticas públicas de restauração florestal: uma análise do Projeto PROSAF no Pará

Abstract

Forest restoration has emerged in recent years as one of the leading approaches within Brazilian environmental public policy, spurred by regulations such as PROVEG and the 2012 Forest Code. In the state of Pará, these policies have taken on particular contours as a result of intense pressure on local ecosystems. This article has the general objective of analyzing the effects of public policies for forest restoration in Brazil and in Pará, focusing on PROSAF as a case study. To this end, it employs a qualitative methodology structured in three stages: documentary and regulatory survey, literature review, and semi-structured interviews with 32 key stakeholders.The findings were organized into three analytical clusters, which correspond to the central chapters of the thesis. The first cluster found that, although the regulatory framework for restoration policies in Brazil represents progress in acknowledging the need for environmental recovery, their implementation runs up against obstacles such as excessive regulatory flexibility and the concentration of benefits among large landowners. It was also observed that the participation of traditional communities in these processes remains marginalized, and their knowledge continues to be undervalued in decision-making.The second cluster focused on native seed networks which, despite their relevance to restoration efforts, face limitations such as seed scarcity, a legal framework misaligned with the realities of native seeds, and weak linkages to the formal market, challenges that, in regions like the Amazon, are exacerbated by territorial dispersion and a lack of adequate infrastructure.The third cluster presents the PROSAF case study, conducted in the Mosqueiro, district of Belém, Pará, with results indicating the project’s potential to generate environmental, social, and economic gains, particularly when integrated with agroforestry practices, local knowledge, and institutional support. Research participants who benefited from the project reported positive experiences, such as increased income, as well as barriers, including difficulties in accessing credit. In conclusion, the study indicates that achieving the objectives of public policies for restoration hinges on overcoming institutional barriers, valuing seed networks as sociotechnical infrastructure, expanding mechanisms for community participation, and consolidating a model of territorial governance that is more inclusive and better adapted to regional particularities.