✨The recent documentary “Lost – Dirty Deals with Climate Protection” by investigative journalist and filmmaker Daniel Harrich examines alleged international greenwashing practices associated with climate certificates and reforestation projects in Brazil. The film critically explores how large-scale eucalyptus plantations, promoted as carbon offset initiatives, can lead to severe ecological degradation, displacement of local communities, and human rights violations — all while being labeled as “sustainable” under global climate protection schemes.

During field research in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, focusing on ecosystem services across different land-use systems, researchers Dr. Katie Meinhold and Prof. Dr. Dietrich Darr from the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) unexpectedly came into contact with Harrich and his team. This encounter initiated a collaboration that allowed the researchers to share scientific insights from their ongoing project EcoSiPas, which was initiated by the Research Centre ´Sustainable Food Systems`, on land-use dynamics, ecosystem performance, and sustainability outcomes in rural Brazil.

Their perspectives and research findings are featured in the documentary, contributing valuable scientific context to the broader discussion of the social and environmental consequences of current climate protection mechanisms. The collaboration highlights the importance of field-based research in exposing complex interrelations between environmental policies, economic interests, and local livelihoods.