Brazilian soldiers are still dealing with wildfires despite a ban on burning forests (Picture: AP)

Farmers are still burning swathes of land in the Amazon rainforest, despite Brazil announcing a ban on fires for land clearing.

More than 80,000 wildfires have broken out in the country this year, an increase of more than 84 per cent on last year.

President Jair Bolsonaro has come under fire over his fixation on developing the Brazil’s economy – even at the expense of the country’s protected rainforests.

Last month he shrugged off the fires as part of the time of year when farmers clear their land.


The right-wing climate change skeptic also tried to blame NGOs and environmentalists for setting them off them to ‘make him look bad’.



But he since appears to have given way to international pressure after Brazil enacted a 60 day ban on using forest fires to free up land in the Amazon.

Despite this, recent pictures show ‘the world’s lungs’ are still being ravaged by flames.

Fires are still raging in Brazil despite efforts of soldiers and emergency services (Picture: Reuters)

A Brazilian soldier takes a quick rest before resuming to fight fires at the Nova Fronteira region in Novo Progresso, Brazil on Tuesday, September 3 (Picture: AP)

A government ban on starting forest fires in Brazil appears to have fallen on deaf ears (Picture: Reuters)

The world has looked on in horror as ‘the world’s lungs’ go up in smoke (Picture: AP)

Soldiers refill their water bags as they ready to fight fires at the Nova Fronteira region (Picture: AP)

Troops and emergency services are still out in force, despite the government’s decree (Picture: AP)

President Jair Bolsonaro has come under fire for his stance on economic expansion (Picture: AP)

Farmers are continuing to free up space by starting wildfires (Picture: AP)

A Brazilian soldier fights fires near a herd of cattle, at the Nova Fronteira region in Novo Progresso (Picture: AP)

Bolsonaro has clashed with the international community over offers of aid (Picture: AP)

Soldiers walk over a burnt out area as they move to fight fires (Picture: AP)

The South American country has seen a dramatic increase in deforestation in the past year (Picture: AP)

A herd of cattle stand in the midst of smoke from the fires at the Nova Fronteira region (Picture: AP)

Freshly cut jungle bursting into flames (Picture: AP)

Jair Bolsonaro initially shrugged off the fires before the government enacted a ban (Picture: Reuters)

The international community has watched on in horror as Brazil’s rainforests have gone up in smoke.

Last month Bolsonaro rejected an offer of $20 million (£18 million) in aid from the G7 states because he said it would leave his country being treated as ‘a colony or a no man’s land’.

He then took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron and said he would only accept the offer if he took back his ‘insults’ and apologised for calling him a liar.

Bolsonaro previously goaded Macron by telling him to ‘take care of his home and his colonies instead’.

But Macron insisted the aid money would benefit nine countries including Columbia and Bolivia.

As world leaders struggle to come up with a solution, ordinary people have been ditching Google for Ecosia, a search engine which uses its advertising revenue to fund the planting of millions of trees.

Dramatic pictures show fires continue to rage (Picture: AP)

Jair Bolsonaro said Brazil would only accept £18m in aid if French leader Emmanuel Macron takes back ‘insults’ in which he called him a liar (Picture: AP)

Soldiers refill their water bags as they ready to fight Brazil’s raging forest fires (Picture: AP)

Bolsonaro rejected an offer of $20m from the G7 States who said international aid could see his country treated like a ‘colony’ or a ‘no man’s land’ (Picture: AP)

Livestock have been engulfed in smoke as cattle farmers destroy the rainforest (Picture: AP)

A tract of the Amazon jungle burning is seen in Apui, Amazonas state, Brazil (Picture: Reuters)

Tracts of smoke can still be seen billowing into the sky despite the government ban (Picture: Reuters)

Bolsonaro said on Monday he was eager to speak about the fires at the next UN General Assembly meeting in September as the issue erodes his support at home.

He told reporters in Brasilia that he wanted to speak ‘with patriotism’ about the Amazon, a region he said was ignored by previous administrations.

He said: ‘I will not accept alms from any country in the world under the pretext of preserving the Amazon when it is being divided into lots and sold.’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week suggested holding a meeting to address the fires.

But Bolsonaro will not attend a meeting of regional leaders of countries containing parts of the Amazon rainforest scheduled for Friday in Colombia.

Brazilian government spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said Monday that Bolsonaro could not go because of upcoming surgery to treat a hernia.

Bolsonaro was stabbed in the abdomen during the presidential campaign.

Swathes of land are being left charred and barren (Picture: Reuters)

Cattle are seen amid smoke from a burning tract of the Amazon jungle as it is cleared by loggers and farmers in Apui, Amazonas state, Brazil (Picture: Reuters)

Agriculture is a major factor behind the fires (Picture: Reuters)

A cow is seen amid a haze of smoke (Picture: Reuters)

Cambridge Labour Party MP Daniel Zeichner said that more than 120,000 people have signed an e-petition calling for sanctions to be placed on Brazil because of ‘escalating deforestation’.

He asked what pressure has been placed by the UK government on Brazil to tackle the crisis.



But speaking in Parliament, Foreign Office minister Chris Pincher said that increasing trade rather than backing calls for sanctions is the remedy.

He said: ‘We want to help Brazil with its difficulties in those terrible fires, but also make it clear we want to trade with them because that is a way of building their economy and ensuring the sorts of fires that are currently raging are put out and stay out.’

Shadow Foreign Office minister Helen Goodman said cutting beef tariffs incentivises destruction of the rainforest.

Mr Pincher responded: ‘As the honourable lady ought to know, high agricultural tariffs hurt the poorest.

‘That will only encourage them to do the easy thing, which is to burn land rather than to farm it sustainably and to protect the rainforest.

‘Mercosur is a sensible free trade agreement that should be encouraged.

‘In the fullness of time, I trust that we also will undertake a free trade deal with Brazil. More details of that, I’m sure, are to come.’

Mr Pincher said he will be meeting the Brazilian ambassador on Wednesday “to reaffirm our commitment to working in partnership with Brazil on a range of issues, including the environment”.

He added: ‘In response to the very serious fires, the Prime Minister at the G7 announced £10 million protection and restoration of rainforest, and that’s in addition to the £120 million of funding we provide through our other programmes.’

Last month Friends of the Earth campaigner Guy Shrubsole told Metro.co.uk Britain is ‘condoning burning the lungs of the world’ if it continues with trade talks.

Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) fire brigade members attempt to control hot points during a fire in Apui, Amazonas state (Picture: Reuters)

The ban has not been enough to stop people starting fires (Picture: Reuters)

Respondents are still out in force in the Amazon rainforest (Picture: Reuters)

A record number of wildfires have been recorded in Brazil this year (Picture: Reuters)

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