Deforestation fell 41.8% in the Amazon and 23.8% in the Cerrado between August 2025 and July 2026, compared with the previous 12 months, according to data released this Friday (16) by the federal government based on monitoring by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).
With the drop, deforestation in the two biomes over one year reached the lowest extents in the historical series. See below:
Amazon: from 5,731 km² to 3,335 km², the smallest area since 1988;
Cerrado: from 7,235.27 km² to 5,516.69 km², the smallest area since 2001.
>> Check here the complete data by state
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, João Paulo Capobianco, celebrated the figures, which he described as "a dream for environmentalists like him."
"How many times have we not heard the phrase that it is impossible to achieve zero deforestation? We are delivering concrete results for the Amazon and Cerrado biomes," he said.
According to him, the gradual reduction, year after year, can be explained by three "essential pillars" that guarantee the implementation of policies to combat deforestation.
The minister describes the first pillar as following science, respecting data and studies; the second is democracy, bringing society into the debates through state and municipal councils; and the third pillar is the federative pact, with mayors and governors joining the plan to combat deforestation, regardless of party or whether they are opposition politicians or part of the federal government's base.
View of the Itapecuru River, which supplies more than 50 municipalities in Maranhão. Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil
The Minister of the Chief of Staff's Office, Miriam Belchior, also emphasized the importance of the integration of all these factors.
"There was effective ministerial coordination to contribute to this result. There was cooperation with states and municipalities and participation by society. It was a win-win game. Everyone worked."
The federal government adds that, among the actions that contributed to the drop in deforestation, are the strengthening of Federal Police operations, with nearly 8,000 investigations opened into crimes against the environment between 2023 and 2026.
Also cited were the increase in investment in the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the creation of 18 new conservation units, and the homologation of 20 indigenous lands.
Agribusiness
In the view of the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, the national agribusiness export market is the biggest beneficiary of the reduction in deforestation. He cites the growing demand from various countries and blocs of countries that their trading partners promote sustainable agriculture.
André de Paula cited as an example the European Union, which prohibits the entry of products from deforested areas.
"This is a passport for delivering Brazilian products. Without these numbers, it would be very difficult to sell Brazilian products around the world."
According to him, Brazil overtook the United States in 2026 and became the world's largest food exporter.