The vastness of the Cerrado often draws comparisons to the African savanna. It's no surprise that the biome is classified as a tropical savanna, and is also the largest in South America. Its landscape combines trees with twisted trunks, open fields, and wetlands.
With approximately 200 million hectares, the Cerrado spreads across 11 states and the Federal District and is considered the birthplace of Brazil's waters: it concentrates the sources of eight of the country's 12 major river basins, guaranteeing water for human consumption, irrigation and energy generation.
But this strategic role is under threat. Since 1985, the biome has lost more than 38 million hectares of native vegetation, according to MapBiomas and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM)—an area larger than the state of Goiás. Today, just over half of the original cover remains, putting biodiversity, climate regulation, and national water security at risk.
On National Cerrado Day, celebrated this Thursday (11), the alert is renewed. Degradation threatens not only emblematic species and unique landscapes, but also food production and water supply, for example. And so, the particularities of the Cerrado need to be the subject of debate.
Produce without deforestation
The Cerrado remains one of the country's main frontiers for agricultural expansion, and the Forest Code allows the removal of up to 80% of native vegetation on private properties, making legal deforestation one of the biggest drivers of habitat loss. Experts point out, however, that destroying the biome is not synonymous with development. Research indicates that Brazil has millions of hectares of degraded areas suitable for restoration, where production can be increased without deforesting new areas.
In this context, the Brazil Climate, Forests, and Agriculture Coalition presented the document "Brazil Without Deforestation" to the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Ibama, and the Brazilian Forest Service, which proposes measures to eliminate illegal deforestation and discourage legal deforestation. In the Cerrado, the challenge is even greater—and requires new governance instruments.
Ane Alencar, co-leader of the Coalition's Deforestation Task Force and Director of Science at IPAM, explains that most of the Cerrado's remaining native vegetation is located within privately owned rural properties. "The Forest Code is more permissive for the Cerrado. And the first step is to understand what is legal and what is illegal, which requires clear, accessible environmental licensing, connected to monitoring systems," she states.
She emphasizes that progress on land regularization is also necessary. "Only with this diagnosis can we hold those responsible for deforestation accountable. We need market incentives and public policies to intensify the use of already deforested areas, as well as agreements with companies that only buy products from deforestation-free areas and mechanisms, such as payment for environmental services, to value the standing Cerrado," she adds.
“It’s not exactly planting trees”
In addition to governance measures, Ane emphasizes that the Cerrado can be one of the showcases for the transition to a low-carbon economy that Brazil intends to showcase at COP30 in Belém. "The Cerrado is the most biodiverse savanna in the world and is home to species unique to this biome. This gives it enormous potential for the bioeconomy, tourism, and the development of sustainable production chains," she explains.
But she warns that restoring the Cerrado requires scientific knowledge and planning. "It's not simply a matter of planting trees. Many Cerrado vegetation types don't lend themselves to this type of intervention. It's necessary to consider appropriate fire regimes, the removal of invasive species, and the encouragement of science to understand how to restore each landscape in the biome."
Seeds that restore the future
The fact is that the regeneration of the Cerrado depends on those who live in it. And there are successful projects that, not coincidentally, are already producing results – data from Deter indicates a 20,8% drop in deforestation in the Cerrado between August 2024 and July 2025.
In Alto Paraíso, Goiás, the Cerrado de Pé Association, founded by Claudomiro de Almeida Cortes, brings together more than 160 families of farmers, settlers, and quilombolas to collect seeds of native grasses, shrubs, and trees, which are then used in ecological restoration projects. This seed chain generates income for communities that previously viewed the Cerrado as an obstacle to planting and have now become guardians of the biome.
"The biggest issue is convincing the government, companies, and landowners of the importance of the standing Cerrado. Global warming is increasing every year, and the only way to reduce it is to plant and restore. The challenge is to keep communities collecting seeds, generating income and dignity," says Claudomiro.
The next step is Semeia Cerrado, led by Alba Cordeiro, which transforms these seeds into restored areas using the seed muvuca technique—a method that combines seeds from dozens of native species to restore areas more efficiently and cost-effectively than planting seedlings. The organization has already helped restore over 900 hectares of Cerrado.
"Restoration creates a green productivity shield within the farm. It retains water in the soil, protects springs, attracts pollinators, and reduces losses during droughts. It also improves access to green rural credit and opens doors to the carbon market. It's a way to increase production security today and prepare the farm for new market opportunities tomorrow," explains Alba.
Closed on the global agenda
In Brasília, the Institute of Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) launched the documentary series "Cerrado, Coração das Águas" to mark National Cerrado Day and lobby for greater attention to the biome in the climate agenda. The films show how the Cerrado connects Brazil's main rivers and sustains traditional ways of life.
Isabel Figueiredo, Coordinator of the Cerrado Program at ISPN, sums up the urgency. "Our biggest challenge is to discuss the Cerrado at a COP that has been called 'the COP of the Amazon.' But that's exactly what we want to put on the agenda: without the Cerrado, there is no Amazon, and there is no water or energy security in Brazil. If the country truly wants to meet its emissions reduction targets, it needs to include the Cerrado in this debate and ensure it plays a leading role in the negotiations," she states.
The campaign runs until November, when Brazil will host COP30. The goal is to raise awareness of the Cerrado in international debates on climate and socio-environmental justice, including the biome as an essential part of the solution to global warming. "We seek to demonstrate that the Cerrado's importance to the climate agenda grows every year. While deforestation in the Amazon is beginning to be controlled, deforestation in the Cerrado is not experiencing the same reduction. This causes the biome's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions to increase proportionally. Therefore, if Brazil truly wants to meet its emissions reduction targets, it is essential to include the Cerrado in this debate and ensure that it also plays a leading role in the COP negotiations," emphasizes Isabel.
Source: One Planet