FC2Video

A Brazilian forestry academic has created a model that could restore areas of forest that have been stripped and degraded by mining processes. Raphael Solomon, who works at the Amazonian research institution, the Goeldi Museum, has developed the model for areas of Pará state's Saracá Taquera national forest, and aims to reverse the damage caused by bauxite extraction. The model will determine key species and secondary vegetation needed to contribute to the restoration of an area, and calculate the best methods of - and locations for - reintroduction.

Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, is make forging greater ties with the world's other emerging a major part of her presidency. The country's first female president - who officially took office on January 1 - is thought to want to encourage growth and investment through lucrative relations with Russia, India, China and South Africa. Brazil's abundant natural resources have already created a close relationship with China, and the recent discovery of new oil fields is likely to make Rousseff only more keen draw the greatest benefit from them.

The Brazilian state of Amazonas has used an extensive inventory of flood-prone parts of its forests as the basis for its new sustainable logging legislation for the floodplain forests. The state's leaders used the inventory - which was the result of extensive research by a team of German scientists - to pass the new law, which governs how often a species may be logged, how much timber may be taken and the necessary tree circumference. The areas - known as the Várzea forests - are regularly flooded by the Amazon and Solimões rivers. The forests provide unique systems but they are at risk from intensive logging.

Brazil is taking strident action against companies that are seen to exploit their workers, in a bid to bring their working standards in line with other developed powers. The Brazilian labour ministry this week added 88 new firms to its 'black list' of companies with failing working standards, bringing the total to 220. Companies on the list must pay heavy fines, are denied access to credit lines at public banks and are prohibited from selling their products to government entities. To come off the list they must change their leadership and prove they have corrected any hiring and lobar use irregularities.

A new eucalyptus clone has been developed by the bioenergy arm of the world's largest steel company, ArcelorMittal, specifically for use as a fuel source in steel-making processes. It is hoped that charcoal from the fast-growing timber will be a renewable alternative to coal in the manufacturing processes. Prior to its development, charcoal had been unsuitable for use in steel making as it could not withstand the weights needed to be put on it during the process. Tests on the new charcoal, however, have shown that it can withstand pressure of up to 220 pounds per square inch.

Brazil's National Confederation of Agriculture has suggested to its members that they can supplement their incomes - and offset carbon emissions - by setting up timber plantations on their land. The confederation is looking into the benefits of plantations as part of a 40 million real study on how to reconcile environmental protection with income generation. The confederation's president, Kátia Abreu, said they hoped the study would eventually outline ways in which farmers could diversify their businesses and reduce risks related to the markets.

The International Tropical Timber Council has announced a 16.8 million US dollar funding programme aimed at the conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. The money will support the implementation of 13 projects and one pre-project, which will include money to support community forest management in Brazil's Amazonas State and to promote integrated forest fire management in Central America. The funding announcement came at the end of the Forty-sixth Session of the Council, which is the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organisation.

Italian car maker, Fiat SpA, is investing 1.8 billion US dollars into a new factory in the north-east of Brazil. The manufacturer - which holds a larger share of the Brazilian car market than any other European brand - has completed a deal to begin work next year on a new plant in the city of Pernambuco. The factory's capacity will allow it to build 200,000 cars annually by 2014, and will also be Fiat's research and development headquarters on the continent. The plant will also create a surge in demand for steel and the eucalyptus charcoal that is increasing being used to power such plants.

Leading analysts from global investment firm, Goldman Sachs, have predicted the Brazil's Bovespa index will likely rise by 26 per cent over the course of 2011. Analysts, Stephen Graham and Alexander Kazan, told clients that the index would reach 85,500 next year, citing compelling valuations after Brazilian stocks trailed emerging-market peers. The pair warned, however, that the economic performance in Brazil could still remain constrained in the near terms, particularly if, as expected, the central bank starts raising interest rates in January.

Brazil is now the fourth largest global market for the automobile industry, after sales for 2010 exceeded 3.45 million vehicles. The rise - which was up 9.8 per cent on 2009 - is seeing the demand for steel surge, as increasing numbers of international manufacturers set up operations in the country. According to Anfavea, the Brazilian Association of automobile manufacturers, Fiat holds a 23.2 per cent share of the Brazilian market whilst Volkswagen holds 22.73 per cent and General Motors holds 21.18 per cent. Brazil has moved ahead of Germany in the rankings, and sits only behind China, the United States and Japan.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Wireless tracking technology is currently being introduced across Brazil as part of continued efforts to clamp down on the illegal timber trade. The Radio Frequency Identification - or RFID - tags contain implanted antennae and can either be attached to standing trees or to logs. Each tagged tree is given an identification number, which is uploaded to a database that is shared between logging companies and timber control authorities. Information contained in the system will include species, coordinates of harvest, current location, planting year and logging permit and will also help with the development of sustainable forest management.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A leading British economist has said that Brazil's transformation from the world's fifth greatest polluter into a leading low-carbon economy is a model for the rest of the world to follow. Nicholas Stern, who wrote the 2006 report outlining the monetary costs of climate change, said Brazil is a leading biofuels producer, and will also lead production of second-generation biofuels. He said the region will be an 'engine of change' for tackling carbon emissions. He also said that good forest management will provide optimum conditions for sustainable fuel production while its coastline will provide abundant manrine-sourced biofuels, such as seaweed.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A leading lawyer has said multinational companies cannot afford to forgo bases in Latin America any longer. Luis Riesgo, who has set up the São Paulo office of international lawyers, Jones Day, said the extent of Brazil's development meant that remote management of their Brazilian clients from a North American office was no longer possible. He said there is a huge demand for legal services in the country as the invesment and finance sector booms. He also added that the workforce there are 'very prepared, very young and very energetic' and will only keep driving the growth for the foreseeable future.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil's growing prosperity and assured economic status has been highlighted by a 30.5 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of cars sold across the country. November 2010 saw 328,473 cars sold across the country, which was also an 8.3 per cent rise on the number of cars sold in October this year. Financial analysts have said auto sales have benefited from the country's strong economy, healthy consumer confidence and the widespread availability of credit. The November figures bring the total number of cars sold in Brazil so far this year to 3.133 million - up 10 per cent on the figure for 2009.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil has been asked by the UN for its crucial assistance to try to break the deadlock in stalled Kyoto Protocol extension talks, emphasising its growing stature on the world stage. Mexico, which is currently hosting the talks, has asked Brazil to work with the UK on what is currently emerging to be the biggest international schism ever in the pact, which obliges nearly 40 developed nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions until 2012. Japan, Russia and Canada have said that they will not sign an extension to the deal and want a new, broader, more binding treaty to be established.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Renewable energy in Brazil will be under the spotlight at the simultaneous United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-16) and the World Climate Summit (WCS) taking place over the next two weeks. Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) president, Marcos Jank, will be presenting at the summits. He said Brazil plays an inspirational role for other nations in the search for solutions for global warming and climate change. Nearly 50 per cent of all the energy used in Brazil comes from renewable sources, which is three times the global average and can largely be attributed to the development and production of sugarcane ethanol.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A report into the timber market in the Brazilian state of Pará has concluded that it is a decisive key to the area’s economy. The research, carried out by the Para Forestry Institute, said that the state’s forest sector revenues topped $4.46 billion US dollars in 2008. This accounted to 9.6 per cent of the state’s total GDD and, with 30,481 jobs, supported 3.6 per cent of its total employment. The report said that even though the state’s timber trade supported low value-added products, it remained a net exporter of timber products.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Steelmakers in Brazil are luring the top-performing stock funds in the country, amid prospects that the President-elect Dilma Roussef has steps planned to protect the steel industry from foreign competitors. Top manufacturer, Gerdau SA, has seen shares snapped up amid speculation that Roussef is planning tax rises for imports. It is also expected that the boom in construction that will be created by the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, will offer a significant boost to what had previously been referred to as “massacred” steel prices.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil will need to invest billions in its air transport system if it is to provide sufficient infrastructure for an expected aviation boom. Air travel in the emerging economy is expected to treble in the next 20 years, having already grown from 68 million annual passengers in 2000 to 113 million in 2008. Infraero, the state controlled company that runs the 67 largest airports in Brazil, has said it plans to invest 2 billion Brazilian reals in improving São Paulo's airports alone, with privatization also being seriously considered for the necessary improvements to other airports.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - An Irish trade delegation is embarking on a mission to Brazil with hopes of strengthening business ties with the South American nation. The Enterprise Ireland mission has given a high priority to cultivating Brazilian links, due to the investment opportunities there and its booming telecoms, finance and construction sectors. The trip is being spearheaded by the minister for trade and commerce, Billy Kelleher, who said 34 Irish companies would be represented on the mission. He added that the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games would offer a huge range of investment opportunities.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazilian forestry professionals are gathering in South Mato Grosso this week to attend the second annual symposium on the planting of eucalyptus and rubber tree forests. A series of seminars and lectures are being held to present options and tips on the planting of the fast-growing species. New technology will be demonstrated, while investment and business opportunities are also due to be highlighted. The aim of the symposium will be to look at ways of making full use of Mato Grosso's abundant natural resources and perfect growing climate.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A new steel plant is to be built in the Brazilian state of Ceara after Korean steel producer, POSCO, signed a deal with Brazil's Vale S.A. and the Dongkuk Steel Mill. The deal will see Vale hold a 50 per cent stake, Posco hold 30 per cent and Dongkuk hold the remaining 20 per cent. Construction is expected to begin early in 2011 and its initial production capacity will see it produce three million tons of steel slabs annually. A future second phase aims to expand this to six million tons annually.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Charcoal is no longer listed as a dangerous cargo for road transportation in Brazil, following a scientific study on the burning point of charcoal. The reclassification came as a result of the tests, carried out by the Cientec laboratories, that showed that the incendiary point of charcoal - largely made from farmed eucalyptus - is 450 degrees centigrade. It also dispelled the myth that charcoal can spontaneously combust when subjected to certain conditions, such as being stacked or pressed. The study was regulated by The National Land Transport Association, which has said that it is applicable for the transportation of charcoal across all Brazilian states.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Chinese investment in Brazil has increased to $396 million making Brazil the largest market in the world for Chinese imports and exports. Some 12 per cent of Brazil's total exports now go to China. This is according to the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce, which claims that China now sees Brazil as a 'one stop shop' for the commodities it needs to fuel its impressive growth. These include soya, sugar, oil and coffee as well as iron ore.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A Chinese company that grows eucalyptus in Brazil for cellulose production is to have a $1 billion initial public offering (IPO) reviewed by the listing committee of the Hong Kong stock exchange this Thursday, sources have confirmed. Sateri - which is controlled by one of Indonesia's richest men, Sukanto Tanoto - hopes to list in Hong Kong later this month pending the application's approval. One source close to the deal said the final pricing would depend wholly on the market conditions. Specialty cellulose is used in many modern products - from sunglasses to ice cream.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil's trade surplus topped 429 million US dollars for the first week in November, according to the country's trade ministry, bringing the year-to-date total to 15.05 billion dollars. The figure is 33 per cent lower than the year-to-date figure from this time last year, when the surplus reached 22.35 billion dollars. Economists have said the difference is down to a huge rise in imports - of both consumer and capital goods - which have been spurred on by Brazil's strong economic recovery. The recovery is expected to see the economy expand by around seven per cent this year.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil's outgoing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has said he will go to his last G20 economic meeting this week with the aim of lowering trade barriers and ending what he calls a currency war. Prior to his departure for South Korea, he strongly criticised China and the US, accusing them of artificially devaluing their currencies, which is resulting in global trade imbalances that are preventing full economic recoveries for many nations. He added that it was crucial to stimulate consumer demand in the US and Europe, and also that trade barriers should be lowered to spark recovery.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - The Brazilian government is one of the keenest in the world to take the economic value of nature into account in policy-making, according to UN-backed analysis. Leaders in the South American nation have been most eager to use the findings of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project in the country's governance. Forestry minister, Braulio Dias, said they were looking to the results of the three-year project to understand the implications of loss of biodiversity, and the potential return on investment in terms of biodiversity conservation.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Infrastructure development in Brazil over the next decade is likely to make it a more lucrative option for prospective investors. The staging of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, followed by the 2016 Olympics, has lead the Brazilian Development Bank to estimate that $180 billion US dollars will have to be invested in the country by 2013. The country's modern legal structure and new accounting standards in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards - to be implemented before the end of 2010 - only make it more practical for much of the money to come from international investors.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazilian Green Party candidate, Marina Silva, declined to endorse a candidate in the final run-off general election, which eventually saw Dilma Rousseff crowned the nation's first female president. The environmentalist's platform of advanced sustainable development won her 19 per cent of the vote in the first election, forcing a run-off vote. She declined to be 'King maker' in the election, however, despite the similar environmental policies of the eventually-victorious Workers' Party, and encouraged the 20 million people who initially voted for her to consider their own judgement.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Expectations for Brazilian consumer prices in 2011 remained level last week among leading economists, after the inflationary impact of credit expansion and record low unemployment was reined in by the real’s appreciation and slower global growth. Consumer prices are expected to rise 4.98 per cent next year, falling slightly from the previous week's forecast of 4.99 per cent, according to a survey of around 100 economists. Pedro Tuesta, a leading Washington DC-based economist for Latin America, said that while demand was growing very quickly, the key to keeping inflation under control was the strong Real.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - China is looking to satisfy its rocketing demand for wood and associated materials by importing more logs and wood chips from countries like Brazil. Figures for the second quarter of 2010, show that a tightening domestic supply has pushed up prices by nearly 17 per cent year-on-year. And while China has primarily turned to Russia to bolster its supply, a 25 per cent log export tax imposed in 2008 is turning Chinese businesses and authorities to countries like Brazil and Papua New Guinea for better value wood.

A champion of the Brazilian rainforest is likely to have a King-making role in country's elections, after capturing a large proportion of the first-round vote. The 19 per cent of the vote polled by Green party candidate, Marina Silva, in the first round election did not see her move through to the upcoming second round on October 31. Her endorsement, however, is being frantically courted by the remaining candidates, the Workers' Party's Dilma Rousseff and Social Democrat, José Serra. Her role is now forcing debate on crucial environmental issues including Brazil's forestry code and the country's commitments to climate change.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazilian finance minister, Guido Mantega, has told New York investors that the nation's economy is predicted to expand by 7.5 per cent this year. He said the prediction had risen from seven per cent due to the nation's ability to generate stable growth without macroeconomic imbalances. He added that conditions are in place for 5.5 per cent to six per cent growth over the next four years regardless of how the US economy performs. Mr Mantega also revealed that investment in Brazil was growing almost three times faster than the economy and that they are still increasing productivity.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Confidence in investment in the Brazilian economy has received a boost from one of its closest neighbours. Chile's retail giant, Cencosud, has made a $800 million purchase of Brazilian supermarket chain Bretas, which consolidates its position as the region’s biggest retailer by sales. The acquisition is Cencosud’s fifth in Brazil since 2007, and doubles its size in the key market, which has been tipped by some analysts to be the third-fastest growing retail market in the world, behind China and India. Cencosud has committed to opening eight new supermarkets in Brazil by December.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A UN summit on biodiversity has begun with a stark warning that immediate action is needed to stop the rapid loss of animal and plant species from global forest habitats. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity has heard warnings from scientists that climate change and human population pressures are destroying ecosystems such as tropical forests and coral reefs as well as animal and plant species. The 193 delegate nations plan to set a new target for 2020 for curbing species loss, including how to better manage forest and wildlife resources.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Steel consumption in Central and South America will drive global growth according to the World Steel Association. While China and Japan are the world’s biggest and second-largest steel producing nations, it is the emerging economies such as Brazil and India that will likely lead gains in demand. Steel demand in Brazil is tipped to rebound 34.6 per cent this year and consumption in the Central and South American regions looks set to gain 9.1 per cent, taking it to a record 47.6 million tons next year, said the association, whose members produce around 85 per cent of the world’s steel.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Brazil's Central bank president Henrique Meirelles has said that the country's economy will be protected as steps taken to stop the dollar weakening further look unlikely. Brazilian policy makers will 'take the necessary steps' to prevent bubbles from forming as monetary policies carried out by nations including the US cause 'excessive' inflows to emerging economies. Meirelles highlighted the need for the Real to be protected from imbalances as the global currency war rages on.

The Brazilian stockmarket has risen once more, creating a sixth week of rises and signalling the longest upward trend in 11 months. The incline follows news that the economic outlook for Brazil’s two biggest trade partners, China and the US, has been boosted. Alongside one of the country's major banks, Banco Bradesco SA, leading a rally of financial stocks, Brazil’s state-controlled oil company, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, also bounced back from a 19-month low. Brazilian card acquirer Cielo SA also advanced after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recommended buying the stock.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - Indigenous tribesmen of the Amazon are uniting with ranchers and forestry officials to tackle devastating forest fires. The groups have been forming volunteer fire brigades, and have this year spent more than 400 hours battling fires in the Southern Amazon, which have consumed hundreds of acres of valuable timber land.

http://www.gwm-tv.com - A new survey has shown that most Brazilians feel very optimistic about the nation's economy and the country's position on the world stage. The Pew Global Attitudes report showed that, of the 1,000 Brazilians polled, 25 per cent said they felt it is already one of the most powerful countries in the world and 53 per cent said it eventually would be.