Brazil has identified 543 invasive exotic species, 155 of which directly affect agricultural production and 97 affect human health, according to a study published earlier this month by the Ministry of Environment as a first step towards a broader plan of combat against this problem nationwide. The next step will be the creation, in June, of the Permanent Technical Chamber on Invasive Exotic Species, involving government, non-government and scientific entities to organize information and establish priorities and solutions, Lidio Coradin, the ministry's genetic resources manager, told Tierramérica.

Biological invasions are the second leading cause globally for the loss of biodiversity, after degradation of ecosystems, like deforestation. Exotic species are “a serious problem and a challenge,” because they affect the economy and health in a country as big as Brazil, said Coradin.