Soy is a high-yielding, high-quality source of vegetable protein, an important ingredient in animal feed. Demand for soy will continue to rise as economic growth leads to greater meat consumption in emerging economies, currently led by China. The expansion of soy production to meet this demand is an important threat to native ecosystems in seasonally-dry regions of the tropics and sub-tropics where most of the expansion is taking place. The Brazilian Soy Moratorium (BSM) is the focus of this report. The BSM is arguably the world's most successful value chain intervention to date for…
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In the last 50 years, significant increases in human population and per capita consumption of animal source foods have been observed in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), resulting in increased demand for livestock products in the region. The dominant, extensive pasture-based livestock production systems need to shift from their current paths that degrade natural and social capital to more intensive silvopastoral (SP) systems that generate goods such as milk, meat, and timber, that contribute to increase tree cover on farm and landscapes to maintain ecosystems, and that render…
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Although oil palm plantations are not the primary driver of deforestation, they are the last and most profitable phase of a land governance system that incentivizes the degradation and eventual conversion of natural forests, beginning with forestry concessions. Especially in Southeast Asia, oil palm cultivation has become synonymous with tropical deforestation and subject to numerous environmental campaigns, including calls for boycotts and other measures to discourage its use. This report evaluates six different approaches that have been implemented to transform the production of palm…
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This paper reviews the role of global commodities in the expansion of agricultural land use in three dimensions. First, the paper aims to understand the major drivers in the demand for agricultural commodities in the recent past. Second, it projects each of these drivers forward to provide demand estimates to 2050. Finally, it estimates the likely contribution of intensification and area expansion to supplying the demand for beef, soybeans, and palm oil to 2050. The policy brief focuses on soybeans and palm oil, where it shows that the five major drivers of tropical land use in the…
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Coffee cultivation covers 11 million hectares and involves 10 million farmers producing 22 million tons of green coffee annually. Coffee production influences the livelihoods of some 125 million people. Cocoa cultivation covers 10.2 million hectares and involves 10 million cocoa farmers producing 4.47 million tons annually. Cocoa production influences the livelihoods of some 40-50 million people. Globally, 48% of coffee and 31% of cocoa is cultivated under shade in agroforest systems. Coffee and cocoa are drivers of both deforestation and reforestation. This report identifies the…
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Pasture is a major driver of land-use change throughout Latin America. This is especially true in the Brazilian Amazon, where 70% of deforested land is under pasture. This paper examines the Brazilian Cattle Agreement (BCA), the world's most ambitious effort to slow tropical deforestation associated with pasture expansion. This case study of the BCA is an important illustration of both the promise and limitations of value chain approaches to curbing tropical deforestation.
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This IUFRO Occasional Paper stresses the diversity and the complexity of the global fire situation, a situation that is evolving, positively or negatively, in unknown proportions due to global environmental changes — with climate change being the most acknowledged manifestation. This paper provides guidance for decision makers on policy and investments to better cope with, and adapt to, an increasingly fire-prone landscape. The work presented here is the result of a large collaborative effort by fire scientists and practitioners developed during, and as follow-up to, the Global Expert…
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Slowing the degradation and clearing of tropical forests and increasing tree cover in agricultural and livestock grazing systems could become a critical part of the global solution to climate change. To realize this potential, improvements in crop and livestock yields must be achieved to reconcile the expansion of forest and tree cover with the growing global demand for food, feed, and fiber from the tropics. The Leveraging Agricultural Value Chains to Enhance Tropical Tree Cover and Slow Deforestation (LEAVES) program, led by the World Bank Group and financed by the Program on Forests (…
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Mining activities are increasingly taking place in forested landscapes, driven by the mineral needs of technological advancements and a growing population. While not a main driver of global deforestation, mining in forests poses an increasing challenge, resulting in losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services like regular rainfall, clean air, and erosion control. These and many other forest-based benefits are vital to the livelihoods and wellbeing of over a billion people around the world. This brief highlights the findings and recommendations from two forthcoming reports, which identify…
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This synthesis report provides some strategic advice for the development of community-private forestry plantations in Kazakhstan and identifies opportunities for consideration in the continued development of private sector engagement in forest plantations. It also examines constraints faced by Kazakhstan in increasing the active participation of local communities and private businesses in national efforts to enhance forest coverage through afforestation.
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