Overview
- Official Prodes satellite data released in mid‑October 2026 show 3,335 km² of Amazon forest cleared from August 2025 to July 2026, a 42% drop from the prior year.
- The Cerrado region also hit a record low with 5,517 km² lost over the same period, down about 24% year‑on‑year.
- The federal government and environmental agencies point to rebuilt inspection teams, higher budgets and measures such as blocking rural credit for offenders as the main drivers of the fall in clearing.
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva framed the figures as proof of progress and reiterated a target of zero illegal deforestation by 2030, while critics warn a Bolsonaro win could reverse policy gains.
- Prodes data are Brazil's official annual deforestation benchmark produced by INPE, and the four‑year trend shows a cumulative 71.2% decline in Amazon clearing since 2022.