Deforestation and modern slavery in Brazil: criminological perspectives on the Carne Legal programme

Abstract

The Carne Legal programme was an environmental law enforcement strategy that reduced deforestation and modern slavery in Brazil, according to quantitative data from official bodies and Non-Governmental Organizations. Still, changes in legislation orchestrated by the Brazilian Congress and the agribusiness lobby with the inconsistency of Court decisions affected the effectiveness of the project, bringing new motivation for offending. As has happened in other countries, green criminology and environmental concerns face huge opposition from corporations and people in power who can actually bring a substantial shift in the regulation that is causing the majority of current environmental harm. The interaction between environmental offenses and perpetrators can be understood if we consider rational choice theory and routine activities theory through green criminological lenses. Furthermore, in order to develop effective solutions to issues in green criminology, criminologists from the global North must encourage research and researchers from the global South to contribute to knowledge, creating a horizontal and mutual share of knowledge, where global solutions are built by considering perspectives from various global contributors.