Brazil unveils global initiative to restore degraded lands during COP30

Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the RAIZ initiative responds to the growing global demand for food security and the preservation of productive ecosystems

By Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply

During COP30 in Belém, Brazil will present RAIZ (Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net Zero Land Degradation), an international initiative aimed at mobilizing resources and sharing technologies to restore degraded agricultural lands in different regions of the world. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), the initiative is supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Development (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário/MDA) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura/MPA) and is in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

RAIZ addresses the growing global need for food security and the preservation of productive ecosystems. According to United Nations (UN) estimates, 2 billion hectares of land worldwide are degraded, directly affecting 3.2 billion people. The FAO reports that approximately 10 million hectares of forest are lost each year to deforestation, and data from Global Forest Watch (2024) show that the loss of primary tropical forests reached about 6.7 million hectares in the past year.

RAIZ aims to expand the reach of successful experiences, such as the Caminho Verde program led by MAPA, strengthening international cooperation to restore degraded land, reduce emissions, and generate income for rural communities.

See more details and other Brazilian programs aligned with RAIZ here.

English version: Trad. Bárbara Menezes.
Proofreading by Enrique Villamil.