The "Brazilian forestry problem" and the historical bases of the constitutionalisation of nature protection

Abstract

The present work aims to understand the historical motivations, the ecological problems and the political-legal proposals that led to the beginning of the constitutionalisation of nature protection in the 1934 Constitution. At first, the "Brazilian forest problem" was presented in the first half of the 20th century, with a view to deciphering what were the political, economic and environmental issues that accompanied Brazilian society. In a second moment, the context, discussions and ways in which the theme of nature protection emerged in the 1933-1934 Constitution were analyzed, as well as the work of the Ministry of Agriculture in the construction of the first Brazilian conservationist codes, all from 1934. To carry out this research, a primary source was consulted, consisting of the periodical press, the annals of the Itamaraty sub-commission, the annals of the 1933-34 constituent, as well as technical texts, reports and opinions of scientists linked to the Ministry of Agriculture. Subsequently, a historical interpretation was applied that sought to place the issue of nature protection in context, linking it to other political movements and intellectual traditions of constitutional law.

Fecha de envío/ Submission date: 7/03/2023
Fecha de aceptación / Acceptance date: 29/04/2023