What’s At “Steak”: The Drivers of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and Potential Multilateral Solutions

This paper examines the contemporary drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and how multilateral solutions can be employed to bring forest loss to zero. Insights from the scholarly literature and five expert interviews allow a critical assessment of how the rise of unilateralism presents a novel threat to the Brazilian Legal Amazon and, by proxy, those relying on the region’s raw resources and ecosystem services. Integrating analyses of both Brazilian institutional structures and global environmental governance frameworks, this study examines the primary historical and contemporary factors driving accelerated deforestation rates observed under Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. In identifying the causes of deforestation during this period, the study presents how multilateral strategies can prevent future instances of politically fueled environmental degradation. This analysis evaluates potential economic and social strategies for combating deforestation, placing an emphasis on Brazil\u27s autonomy in implementing environmental and social regulations with the aid of a diverse set of actors from across the international community