Ludmila Ferber

Brazilian environmental lawyer defending Amazon's indigenous rights and rainforest conservation

Ludmila Ferber is a leading environmental attorney and founder of Justiça Ambiental, an NGO that has secured 12 major legal victories protecting 12 million hectares of Amazon rainforest since 2018. Her innovative litigation strategies combine indigenous rights advocacy with climate science, successfully arguing that deforestation constitutes a violation of constitutional rights to a healthy environment. In 2022, her team obtained Brazil's first judicial order mandating state authorities to actively combat illegal logging.

Ferber pioneered the 'Forest Guardian' program in 2021, training 500+ indigenous leaders in legal advocacy and satellite monitoring techniques. This initiative has reduced deforestation rates by 28% in partner territories. Her groundbreaking 2023 lawsuit linking corporate supply chains to Amazon degradation led to $2.3 billion in fines against cattle and soy companies - the largest environmental penalties in Brazilian history.

A vocal critic of Brazil's recent environmental policies, Ferber's 2024 report 《The Amazon Under Siege》 provided critical evidence used by the International Criminal Court in their investigation of ecocide charges. Her work has directly influenced EU-Mercosur trade agreement provisions requiring deforestation-free commodity sourcing. Ferber was named one of Time Magazine's 2023 'Next Generation Leaders' and currently advises the Amazon Fund's international board.