Thursday, September 29, 2022
Agri Food Tech News
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
No Result
View All Result

Cutting down the Amazon does not build prosperity for most Brazilians

by agrifood
September 29, 2022
in Organic Farming
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Home Organic Farming
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


  • Deforestation proponents in Brazil routinely argue that cutting down the Amazon is an effective way to alleviate poverty. This is especially the case with the Bolsonaro administration, which issued an official statement to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference stating that “where there is a lot of forest there is also a lot of poverty.”
  • Ahead of Brazil’s election this coming Sunday, a group of us led by Darren Norris of the Federal University of Amapá decided to see what the data says about links between deforestation and poverty in the Amazon.
  • We found no association between forest loss and these economic indicators. Indeed, the economic indicators for municipalities with less than 40% forest cover in 1986 were no different than those of similar municipalities with more than 60% forest cover from 1986 to 2019.
  • The finding thus suggests that “deforestation does not necessarily generate transformative and equitable food production systems or lead to poverty alleviation,” as we write.

Deforestation proponents in Brazil routinely argue that cutting down the Amazon is an effective way to alleviate poverty. For example, the Bolsonaro administration’s official statement to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference asserted that “where there is a lot of forest there is also a lot of poverty”, implying that forest cover is inversely correlated to human well-being. Yet solid evidence to support this claim is rarely offered.

Ahead of Brazil’s election this coming Sunday, which pits Jair Bolsonaro, who has presided over a steep rise in deforestation, against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who oversaw a sharp drop in Amazon forest clearing and has made saving the Amazon a key part of his campaign, a group of us led by Darren Norris of the Federal University of Amapá decided to see what the data says about links between deforestation and poverty in the Amazon. Specifically we wanted to see whether the arguments advanced by deforestation proponents hold up to scrutiny.

Fire near the Manicoré River in Amazonas state in August 2022. Photo © Christian Braga / Greenpeace

To do this, we looked at forest change and economic indicators for nearly 800 municipalities covering almost five million hectares in the Brazilian Amazon from 2002 to 2019. We used average salary, the existence of sanitation plans, and internet connectivity as the economic indicators for evaluating this question. This is not a comprehensive, but it is a serviceable proxy for economic development.

We found no association between forest loss and these economic indicators. Indeed, the economic indicators for municipalities with less than 40% forest cover in 1986 were no different than those of similar municipalities with more than 60% forest cover from 1986 to 2019. The finding thus suggests that “deforestation does not necessarily generate transformative and equitable food production systems or lead to poverty alleviation,” as we write.

Figure 3 from the paper. Economic indicators and forest cover change. Comparison of three economic indicators among forest cover classes. Annual trends from 2006 to 2019 (A to C) and GAM partial plots (D to F) of three economic indicators, row wise top to bottom: agriculture Gross Value Added per capita, Gross Domestic Product per capita and salaries (expressed as a proportion of the annual minimum salary value). These indicators are compared among a subset of 357 municipalities with contrasting proportions of natural forest cover. Municipalities are grouped into three forest cover classes using percent of natural forest cover in 1986 as a reference level (“low”: less than 40%, “medium”: more than 60% in 1986 but less than 50% in 2019 and “high” more than 60% in 1986 and 2019).
Figure 3 from the paper. Economic indicators and forest cover change. Comparison of three economic indicators among forest cover classes. Annual trends from 2006 to 2019 (A to C) and GAM partial plots (D to F) of three economic indicators, row wise top to bottom: agriculture Gross Value Added per capita, Gross Domestic Product per capita and salaries (expressed as a proportion of the annual minimum salary value). These indicators are compared among a subset of 357 municipalities with contrasting proportions of natural forest cover. Municipalities are grouped into three forest cover classes using percent of natural forest cover in 1986 as a reference level (“low”: less than 40%, “medium”: more than 60% in 1986 but less than 50% in 2019 and “high” more than 60% in 1986 and 2019).

Therefore the Bolsonaro administration’s claim that Brazilians in the Amazon cannot escape poverty without clearing forests does not seem to be a valid argument based on economic data alone.

Left unevaluated here are the ecological services afforded to local communities by healthy and productive forests. Factoring in these benefits, which are often undervalued, would further diminish the case being made by deforestation proponents.

Blackwater oxbow lake, rainforest, and a whitewater river in the Amazon. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.
Blackwater oxbow lake, rainforest, and a whitewater river in the Amazon. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.

The paper, titled “Cutting down trees does not build prosperity: On the continued decoupling of Amazon deforestation and economic development in 21st century Brazil”, will be published shortly in the journal Tropical Conservation Science. A preprint version is available on EarthArXiv.

CITATION:

    Darren Norris, Terciane Sabadini Carvalho, Angela M. Guerrero, Maria Isabel Sobral Escada, Ane Alencar , Liz Kimbrough, and Rhett A. Butler. “Cutting down trees does not build prosperity: On the continued decoupling of Amazon deforestation and economic development in 21st century Brazil.” Tropical Conservation Science (October 2022). doi.org/10.31223/X51S8P

Disclosure: Rhett Butler was a co-founder of the journal Tropical Conservation Science in 2008 but turned over control and all management of the journal in 2016. He does not have any influence on the journal’s submission or editorial processes.

Portuguese pre-print of Norris et al 2022.



Source link

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tags: AmazonBraziliansbuildCuttingProsperity
Share30Tweet19
Previous Post

Food Inflation Is Eating Up Grocery Budgets

Recommended For You

Enigmatic binturong photographed in Nepal for the first time

by agrifood
September 29, 2022
0

Residents in western Nepal’s Pokhara Valley have captured the first known photos of a binturong, or bearcat (Arctictis binturong), in the country.The small cat-like mammal is found across...

Read more

Top U.S. flooring retailers linked to Brazilian firm probed for corruption

by agrifood
September 29, 2022
0

New evidence uncovered by a yearlong investigation by Mongabay and Earthsight reveals the corrupt deals made by Brazil’s largest flooring exporter, Indusparquet, and its suppliers.The company was charged...

Read more

Experts decry ‘funny math’ of plastics industry’s ‘advanced recycling’ claims

by agrifood
September 28, 2022
0

Environmental experts say there’s a strong possibility that a federal bill will be introduced in the U.S. that seeks to strengthen an industry known as “advanced recycling,” or...

Read more

In Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, deforesters foot the bill for political campaigns

by agrifood
September 28, 2022
0

In Brazil’s 2018 elections, 422 candidates running in executive and legislative races at state and federal levels across the country received donations from individuals and partners of companies...

Read more

Harpy eagle’s return to Costa Rica means rewilding’s time has come (commentary)

by agrifood
September 27, 2022
0

An adult harpy eagle was recently photographed in northern Costa Rica, which made national headlines and waves on social media.Most believed these gigantic eagles had been extirpated from...

Read more

LATEST UPDATES

Organic Farming

Cutting down the Amazon does not build prosperity for most Brazilians

by agrifood
September 29, 2022
0

Deforestation proponents in Brazil routinely argue that cutting down the Amazon is an effective way to alleviate poverty. This is...

Food Inflation Is Eating Up Grocery Budgets

September 29, 2022

Deere’s investment in InnerPlant is about changing Big Ag

September 29, 2022

This Seed Detective Travels the World Tracking Down Lost Crops

September 29, 2022

Delivery unicorns & Pat Brown’s venture: The Week in Agrifoodtech

September 29, 2022

Enigmatic binturong photographed in Nepal for the first time

September 29, 2022

Get the free newsletter

Browse by Category

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized
Agri Food Tech News

Agri FoodTech News provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and updates about shaping the business of Agriculture

CATEGORIES

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized

RECENT UPDATES

  • Cutting down the Amazon does not build prosperity for most Brazilians
  • Food Inflation Is Eating Up Grocery Budgets
  • Deere’s investment in InnerPlant is about changing Big Ag
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

%d bloggers like this: