Ibama helped to reduce the rate of deforestation by over 80 percent between 2004 and 2012.

A mix of satellite imagery and a tough on-the-ground presence made Ibama a highly effective force in the fight against global warming.

Now, there is a sense that Brazil's target of zero deforestation by 2030 will not simply be achieved with more 4x4s and semiautomatic rifles.

A carrot is needed alongside the stick, officials say.

One option being discussed with other ministries, according to Lucero, is to create economic incentives for landowners and communities to preserve their forests. He said details on how this would work were still being finalised.

Persuading towns like Novo Progresso to preserve the rainforest means transforming their culture and economy.

It lies on the BR-163 highway that runs north-to-south through the rainforest to join frontier farms with ports in the southeast.

Environmental groups estimate 60 percent of Brazil's Amazonian deforestation happens along this stretch.

Novo Progresso was one of many towns founded during Brazil's drive deep into the Amazon during the military dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s.