Soy farming and deforestation
Climbing soy prices, the end to some of the voluntary agreements that helped
slow deforestaion (such as the Soy Moratorium), and a shortage of cattle pasture suitable for
conversion to soy, could come together to drive deforestation rates back up. In 2013, for
example, was 28% higher than in 2012.
changes made by global Institues
Earth Innovation Institute, together with
partner organizations, has been leading a multi-sector dialogue in Brazil to plug
an important
gap in the Amazon deforestation story, and prevent a reversal of the decline in deforestation
rates. There are at least eight different processes underway in the Brazilian Amazon region that
are designed to slow deforestation. However, these processes use different metrics of success,
they operate with different spatial scales and over different time periods, and they
are
severely deficient in positive incentives for farmers who are doing their part to
slow
deforestation. In other words, deforestation strategies are being discussed in many different
“languages”, creating an important obstacle to the convergence that will be needed
to continue
the recent trend towards lower deforestation. The “Multi-Sector Deforestation Agreement for the
Amazon” is designed to help achieve this convergence. It establishes a set of incremental
milestones for reducing deforestation through 2020, when the decline in deforestation will
achieve 90% below the ten-year average and when all clearing of primary forest would
be 90%
below the historical average and would be compensated by new natural forest.