An End to Amazon Rainforest Destruction?

60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches and soyabeans cultivation while the rest mostly results from small-scale subsistence agriculture. As of 2006, the amount of Brazilian rainforest destroyed equals an area larger than France, or an estimated 17% of the total forest cover. Once the land is clearcut, the ensuing ranching and agriculture leads to 75% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

But all that may change, and the forest destruction my stop, by as soon as 2015.

A partnership of nine NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) have drafted a proposal – the “Agreement on Acknowledging the Value of the Forest and Ending Amazon Deforestation” – that aims to do just that: halt deforestation and engender a re-valuing of the rainforest resource through protection, monitoring, tax, and market incentives. The plan also suggests that about $1 billion Real ($550 million US) be invested from both national and international sources to further the goal of halting the destruction and maintaining an intact rainforest.

It is clear that, in the long run, preserving the Amazon – the “lungs of the planet” – is the wise choice, even if only considering the economic impact on local and world economy. By making the economic incentive short term the proposal offers hope for saving the Amazon rainforest.

Sources and Further Reading
Environmental News Network
ENN – Brazil Considers Moratorium on Amazon Logging
Greenpeace UK