Brazil: benefit-sharing fund (FNRB) and IBAMA biopiracy fines
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
Brazil's benefit-sharing fund (FNRB) collected R$7.44 million from 65 companies in 2020–2024 and, by May 2024, had made no monetary transfer to communities. IBAMA, the environment agency, had issued R$221.6 million in biopiracy fines by 2014.
Brazilian reais. The two periods differ (2020–2024 and up to 2014), so no like-for-like ratio is drawn. Dollar equivalents are the research report's estimate at 5.3 reais per dollar.
Status As of May 2024: Neo Mondo reported that the FNRB had collected R$7.44 million in 2020–2024 and made no monetary transfer to communities; the outcome of the 2014 plan to suspend the IBAMA fines was not found.
- Those who signed settlement agreements (under the reported 2014 plan) — Discounts of up to 90% on the suspended fines were planned; whether the plan was adopted is not stated Congresso em Foco
- Communities — No monetary transfer from the FNRB up to May 2024 Neo Mondo
What happened
By 2014 IBAMA, Brazil's environment agency, had issued 471 notices carrying biopiracy fines of R$221.6 million in total. On 4 August 2014 the outlet Congresso em Foco reported that the government wanted to suspend about R$221 million of these fines, with discounts of up to 90% for those who signed settlement agreements.
Brazil's benefit-sharing fund, the FNRB, collected a total of R$7.44 million in 2020–2024, about US$1.4 million or about US$0.3 million a year at the 5.3 reais per dollar the research report assumed. The total is described as covering 2020–2024, with 2020–2023 investments and interest included. Sixty-five companies paid into the fund.
Neo Mondo's analysis of the fund, dated 7 May 2024, gave annual collections of R$2.61 million in 2020, R$1.25 million in 2021, R$1.23 million in 2022 and R$1.19 million in 2023. It recorded that, up to May 2024, no monetary transfer from the fund to communities had been made.
In 2023 Canal Rural reported a projection, attributed to ABBI and Embrapa, that Brazil's bioeconomy could bring additional industrial turnover of USD 284 billion a year by 2050. The research report calculated that the FNRB's annual collection of about US$0.3 million was roughly one-millionth of that projection, and that the 2014 fines were about 30 times the FNRB's 2020–2024 total. Both are the report's own calculations across different periods.
- 2014IBAMA has issued 471 biopiracy notices worth R$221.6m; Congresso em Foco (4 Aug) reports a government wish to suspend about R$221m of the fines, with discounts of up to 90% for those signing settlements
- 2020FNRB collection begins in the 2020–2024 series: R$2.61m in 2020
- 2023Canal Rural reports a USD 284bn-a-year bioeconomy projection for 2050; FNRB collects R$1.19m in 2023
- 2024Neo Mondo (7 May): FNRB total R$7.44m for 2020–2024, 65 paying companies, no monetary transfer to communities
How it looked
Shown
- Brazil's bioeconomy projected to bring USD 284 billion a year in additional industrial turnover by 2050ABBI and Embrapa projections, as reported by Canal Rural (2023) · Canal Rural
Recorded
- FNRB total collected 2020–2024: R$7.44 million (about US$1.4m at an assumed 5.3 reais per dollar); 65 companies paid
- Annual collections: R$2.61m (2020), R$1.25m (2021), R$1.23m (2022), R$1.19m (2023)
- No monetary transfer from the fund to communities up to May 2024
- IBAMA biopiracy fines up to 2014: R$221.6 million across 471 notices
- Reported plan to suspend about R$221m of these fines with discounts of up to 90% for those signing settlements
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: a report of a note attributed to Brazil's environment ministry (MMA) indicated that R$10.48 million entered the FNRB between January and May 2025. The note could not be checked and the figure is not used in this record.
Did the harm stop?
The sources reviewed show no halt: the fund collected between R$1.19 million and R$2.61 million a year in 2020–2023 and had made no monetary transfer to communities by May 2024. A later 2025 figure exists only in an unverified secondary report.
Who paid?
Not established in the record. Sixty-five companies paid into the fund in 2020–2024; communities had received no monetary transfer from it by May 2024.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Governo quer suspender BRL 221 milhões em multas contra biopiratariaCongresso em Foco · 2014-08-04
- Bioeconomia pode gerar faturamento de USD 284 bilhões anuaisCanal Rural · 2023
Communities and civil society
Connected cases
- Brazil's army-led Verde Brasil spent USD 90.3m; deforestation rose above average Brazil · 2024
- IBAMA (Public authority) — here: Environment agency that issued the biopiracy fines; there: Brazil's environmental enforcement agency; benchmark for the 16-year spending comparison
- Cargill IBAMA fine (Brazil) Brazil · 2018
- IBAMA (Public authority) — here: Environment agency that issued the biopiracy fines; there: Brazilian environmental agency; imposed fine
- Federal prosecutors say Belo Monte dam's Xingu flow schedule collapsed in 2025 Brazil · 2010–2025
- IBAMA (Public authority) — here: Environment agency that issued the biopiracy fines; there: licensing agency whose technical staff recommended against a partial licence
- Foz do Amazonas drilling licence Brazil · 2023–2026
- IBAMA (Public authority) — here: Environment agency that issued the biopiracy fines; there: Federal environmental licensing agency