Virgilio Viana

International fellow

Virgilio Viana's picture
Professor Virgilio Viana is one of Brazil’s leading experts on forestry, environment and sustainable development. He served as Brazil’s Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development from 2003-2008 and is currently the Director General of the Amazonas Sustainability Foundation (FAS), an organization charged with the challenge of implementing the Bolsa Floresta Program, as well as providing the institutional framework to market environmental services of Amazonas’ forests. He is Professor of Forest Sciences at the University of Agriculture, Luiz Queiroz (on leave).

Professor Virgilio Viana is one of Brazil's leading experts on forestry, environment and sustainable development. He served as Brazil's Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development from 2003-2008 and is currently the Director General of the Amazonas Sustainability Foundation (FAS), an organization charged with the challenge of implementing the Bolsa Floresta Program, as well as providing the institutional framework to market environmental services of Amazonas’ forests. He is Professor of Forest Sciences at the University of Agriculture, Luiz Queiroz (on leave).

Professor Viana coordinated the Brazilian consultative process that led to the establishment of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. He was the founder and President of IMAFLORA, the first Latin American-based forest certifier. He also participated in the process of structuring a number of institutions such as the Center for International Research (CIFOR), and the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO).

He was President of the Brazilian Society of Ethnoecology (SBEE), President of São Paulo Forester’s Association (APAEF), Vice-President of the Association Brazilian State Secretaries of Environment, among several other positions. He has served as a consultant to institutions such as the World Bank, GTZ, IIED, CIFOR, WWF and Greenpeace.

Professor Viana received his forestry degree from University of São Paulo/ESALQ, a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University and did post doctoral work on Sustainable Development at the University of Florida.

Virgilio works primarily on governance for sustainable development at IIED.