Conservation and land-use governance in Brazil: Domestic and international interconnectivity

Governance strategies, involving both governmental and non-governmental entities, are instrumental in regulating land use practices and conservation, specifically in countries with high agricultural commodity production. Their interconnection is vital for advancing sustainable agriculture and forest use while simultaneously addressing greenhouse gas emissions and land use and land rights. This study examines domestic and international interconnections of Brazil’s land-use-related strategies based on Social Network Analysis techniques. Our findings reveal that Brazil’s governance framework is broad and comprehensive. Key policies (climate, forest, and agriculture) are well connected, thus reducing sectoral fragmentation. Regulations to curb deforestation act as key connectors. The balance between production and conservation strategies supports coherence, reinforces coordination, and contributes to Brazil’s capacity to deliver sustainable outcomes. Non-state and hybrid strategies complement state-led policies but could be strengthened to further improve overall governance. International connections — mainly linked to forest and climate strategies — exist but are uneven and limited. For instance, the Brazilian Forest Policy, the most interconnected strategy, is mainly linked to a specific international forest governance cluster with little cross-sector interrelation. Our results suggest a broad and mostly well-connected domestic land use governance framework but reveal the need to improve the integration of several less-connected domestic regulations and to strengthen alignment with international policies. The findings can inform the design of policy frameworks capable of supporting national and global sustainability targets. A future focus on implementation can help bridge the gap between policy design and real-world outcomes.