Who really protects Brazil's ecosystems? It's not governments or big corporations — it's the communities living in and with the forest.
Across the country, Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, river dwellers, and people living in urban areas close to forests have been looking after nature for generations. Their cultural, spiritual, and ancestral connections with the land guide sustainable ways of living — from fishing and farming to managing forests — that keep ecosystems healthy and help store carbon.
These communities live in areas with the lowest deforestation rates in Brazil, and what they do is key to protecting biodiversity, ensuring clean water, food security, and climate stability.
But their territories — and their lives — are under constant threat from illegal mining, land grabbing, deforestation, and big construction projects. They face racism, violence, and policies that try to erase their rights.
Want to know why standing up for these communities is essential for protecting the planet? Take the quiz and see how justice for forest defenders is also climate action for us all.