Marcelo Stabile

Researcher

Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM)

marcelo.stabile@ipam.org.br

Marcelo is an Agronomic Engineer (ESALQ/USP, Brazil), with a M.Sc. (Texas A&M University, USA) and PhD in Agronomy (University of Sydney, Australia). In 2011, Dr. Stabile joined the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), where he undertakes research and leads projects aim at the development of sustainable agriculture and ranching. His interests are in thinking of how to increase sustainable food production, while improving conservation. Currently, he leads a 5-year project working with smallholders, governments, banks and meat packers to improve the sustainability of cattle ranching in the Amazon. He also coordinates CONSERV, an initiative led by IPAM which aims at creating value from the standing forests not protected by law, in private properties within the Amazon. Recent publications by Dr Stabile include “Solving Brazil’s Land Use Puzzle” and “Slowing Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Avoiding Legal Deforestation by Compensating Farmers and Ranchers”.

CONSERV: engaging farmers in conservation by avoiding legal deforestation

CONSERV is an innovative initiative led by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, which aims to avoid legal deforestation in private properties. The Brazilian Amazon has over 11 million hectares (110 thousand sq. km) which can be legally deforested, as they are not protected by any legislation. During the pilot phase of CONSERV we are testing the hypothesis that, through targeted compensation we can avoid legal deforestation. CONSERV operation begun in 2020 and so far, we have protected over 14,320 hectares (143 sq. km) in 16 farms. During the Kinship Fellowship program in 2022 we intend to discuss potential business models so that CONSERV can gain scale and become a market mechanism where conservation becomes a source of income for farmers. Thus, CONSERV can contribute to climate change mitigation (conserving carbon stocks, habitat for biodiversity, climate regulation), while ensuring long term sustainability of agriculture in Brazil which is rain fed.

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