How can Brazilian legislation on native seeds advance based on good practices of restoration in other countries?

Abstract

In the decade of global ecological restoration efforts, Brazil intends to restore 12 million hectares of degraded areas. This will require an ample offer of seeds of native species, unavailable on the current market, which is partly due to inadequate legislation. We reviewed the literature on native seed production and the specific legislation in Brazil, and compared with rules of other countries to identify good examples to be followed. We first verified a lack of regulation concerning the seed collection in natural environments in Brazil, which contrasts with the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) recommendations. Best practices for seed collection should be developed by environmental agencies. Second, the scarcity of accredited laboratories for native seed quality analysis is a limitation in Brazil. The development of strategies for streamlined accreditation that align with SER's quality standards for native seeds meant for restoration purposes is an important step. Furthermore, the regulation of the trade of seed mixtures in Brazil is currently restrictive and requires a revision of norms to facilitate their use, as the case in the European Union. The mixtures directly harvested from remnants are promising to promote restoration, especially of grassy ecosystems. Another aspect is the establishment of Seed Transfer Zones (STZs) to promote the use of locally adapted ecotypes and to ensure the conservation of genetic diversity in restoration. Our study indicates how examples from other countries and the SER guidelines can guide advances in Brazilian legislation and streamline the development of a seed supply chain for ecological restoration.