Inthe1990s，whenanareaofBrazilianrainforestthesizeofBelgiumwascutdowneveryyear，Brazilwastheworld'senvironmentalvillain（反派角色）andtheAmazonianjungletheimageofeverythingthatwasgoingwrongingreenplaces．N
Inthe1990s，whenanareaofBrazilianrainforestthesizeofBelgiumwascutdowneveryyear，Brazilwastheworld'senvironmentalvillain（反派角色） andtheAmazonianjungletheimageofeverythingthatwasgoingwrongingreenplaces．Now，theAmazonoughttobetheimageofwhatisgoingright．Governmentfiguresshowthatdeforestationfellby70% intheBrazilianAmazonregionduringthepastdecade．Ifclearanceshadcontinuedattheirratein2005，anextra3.2billiontonnesofcarbondioxidewouldhavebeenputintotheatmosphere．Thatisanamountequaltoayear'semissionsfromtheEuropeanUnion．Arguably，then，Brazilisnowtheworldleaderinaddressingclimatechange．
Buthowdiditbreaktheviciouscycle（恶性循环）？Theanswer，accordingtoapaperisthattherewasno silverbullet butinsteadathree-stageprocessinwhichbans，bettergovernanceinfrontierareasandconsumerpressureoncompaniesworked．
Thefirststageranfromthemid-1990sto2004．Thiswaswhenthegovernmentputitseffortsintobansandrestrictions．TheBrazilianForestCodesaidthat，oneveryfarmintheAmazon，80% ofthelandhadtobesetasideasaforestreserve．Asthestudyobserves，thissharewassohighthatthecodecouldnotbefollowed-orenforced．Thiswastheperiodoftheworstdeforestation．Soybeanpriceswerehighandtherewasavastexpansionofsoybeanfarmingonthesouth-easternborderoftherainforest．
Duringthesecondstage，whichranfrom2005to2009，thegovernmenttriedtoboostitsabilitytopolicetheAmazon．Brazil'spresidentmadestoppingdeforestationapriority，whichresultedinbetterco-operationbetweendifferentbitsofthegovernment．Theareainwhichfarmingwasbannedwasincreasedfromasixthtonearlyhalfoftheforest．
Thethirdstage，whichbeganin2009，wasatestofwhetherasystemofrestrictionscouldsurviveassoybeanexpansioncontinued．Thegovernmentshifteditsfocusfromfarmstocounties （eachstatehasscoresofthese）．Farmersinthe36countieswiththeworstdeforestationrateswerebannedfromgettingcheapcredituntilthoseratesfell．
Byanystandards，Brazil'sAmazonpolicyhasbeenasuccess，madethemoreremarkablebecauseitreliedonrestrictionsratherthanrewards，whichmighthavebeenexpectedtohaveworkedbetter