From conflict to cooperation: international policies to protect the Brazilian Amazon

When environmental degradation in a particular country has international consequences, a dilemma arises: how to find effective policies which address the causes and take domestic sensitivities into account? This article analyzes the Brazilian Amazon, where international concern over deforestation led to accusations of hy-pocrisy, infringement of sovereignty and impeding development. By cautiously build-ing coalitions and by offering favorable conditions, donors contributed to changing conflict into cooperation. The Pilot Program for the Brazilian rainforest has not ended all controversies because international influence is legiti-mized. The case of the Brazilian has wider relevance: it sheds light on the limits and possibilities of international environmental cooperation, and shows how an international coalition against deforestation emerged.