These figures demonstrate that Brazil has the means to protect the economic, social, and cultural rights of it citizens. According to a study by the Tropical Medical Institute in Manaus, the average life expectancy for the indigenous population is only 42.6 years, compared to the non-indigenous average of 64 years for men and 72 years for women.
Brazil has the second-largest Black population in the world, second only to that of Nigeria.
The legacy of slavery continues to leave its mark on contemporary Brazilian society, in the form of inequality in income, education, health care, infant mortality, life expectancy, living and working conditions, and access to basic social services, among others. These provisional steps allow rural landowners to clearcut large tracts of forested lands. Historically, large rural landowners have contributed greatly to environmental devastation in Brazil, causing incalculable damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, water supplies, and ultimately, to the Brazilian people. Additionally, this system of agriculture has polluted Brazilian lakes and rivers, adversely affecting rural and riverside populations, as well as consumers in general. The Agricultural Ministry has also succumbed to political pressure by multinational corporations such as Monsanto, and has authorized the use of the genetically modified soybean strain Roundup Ready, without requiring a prior environmental impact study.