Root of the Problem
Today’s Side Event: “The Drivers of Deforestation Today” •
Doug Boucher, Union of Concerned Scientists
– What are the Drivers of Deforestation in the 21st Century?
•
Earl Saxon, Union of Concerned Scientists
– An Assessment of the Indonesian Moratorium: likely impacts on the drivers of deforestation
•
Roman Czebiniak, Greenpeace International
– Transparency and Hope for Indonesia’s Forests
•
Fred Stolle, World Resource Institute
– Measuring Drivers of Deforestation and Degradation, and Strategies to Mitigate Them
•
Geri Steindlegger, World Wildlife Fund
– WWF’s Work on Transforming Markets
•
Andrea Johnson, Environmental Investigations Agency
– Drivers at the Intersection of Logging, Timber Trade, and International Investment
•
Questions and Answers, and General Discussion
Why examine the drivers of deforestation? • They’re now part of the UNFCCC negotiations – a two-year process begun with the Cancun Agreements in December 2010
• Recent scientific literature shows that they have changed fundamentally in the last few decades
What are the Drivers of Deforestation in the 21st Century?
Doug Boucher, UCS [email protected]
UCS’ The Root of the Problem report, released July 2011, is a comprehensive review of the literature on the drivers of deforestation
Pieces of the conventional wisdom about what causes deforestation: – Deforestation is driven by population growth in tropical forest countries – Peasant farmers, through their subsistence agriculture and firewood gathering, are the main causes of deforestation
What the recent literature shows: – Commercial agriculture and forestry – especially soybeans, beef cattle, palm oil and timber – are now the major drivers – The markets for these products are global, in both developed and developing countries
Population and Diet • Conventional wisdom: Increasing rural populations are the main cause of pressure on forests • The recent literature shows: Urban populations and export markets, not population growth, are the chief sources of the demand that drives deforestation
Small-scale farmers • Conventional wisdom: : Rural populations are driving deforestation for subsistence farming • The recent literature shows: Small-scale farmers are no longer a main driver of deforestation, although much of the policy literature focuses on them
Wood for fuel • Conventional wisdom: : Poor peoples’ use of firewood is destroying forest • The recent literature shows: Firewood is not a major driver of deforestation, but there is reason for concern about charcoal, especially near cities
So, if these aren’t the drivers of deforestation, what are?
Soybeans • Large-scale commercial soy production grew rapidly in the late 1990s, becoming the cause of about one-fourth of Amazon deforestation • However, civil-society pressure and business responsibility has successfully reduced the impact of soybeans on deforestation in the Amazon to low levels
Beef cattle • Growing beef consumption, both domestically and for export, is causing most Amazon deforestation • However a 2009 moratorium and alternative production systems can reduce its impact
Palm Oil • Palm oil is one of the most important drivers of deforestation in Southeast Asia • It leads to very significant carbon dioxide emissions, particularly when it is planted on peat lands.
Timber and pulp • Tropical timber and pulp does not meet much of the world’s demand, but it is economically important to deforestation in Southeast Asia • The timber industry is closed connected to, and its profits help finance, expanding palm oil and pulp and paper plantations
Thanks to: The ClimateWorks Foundation The Bellona Foundation Pipa Elias, Estrellita Fitzhugh, Lael Goodman, Katherine Lininger, Calen May-Tobin, Sarah Roquemore and Earl Saxon
Fact sheets on our work are available at this side event, and this and other UCS reports can be downloaded at: www.ucsusa.org/whatsdrivingdeforestation and at www.ucsusa.org/forests
Doug Boucher, Union of Concerned Scientists
– What are the Drivers of Deforestation in the 21st Century?
•
Earl Saxon, Union of Concerned Scientists
– An Assessment of the Indonesian Moratorium: likely impacts on the drivers of deforestation
•
Roman Czebiniak, Greenpeace International
– Transparency and Hope for Indonesia’s Forests
•
Fred Stolle, World Resource Institute
– Measuring Drivers of Deforestation and Degradation, and Strategies to Mitigate Them
•
Geri Steindlegger, World Wildlife Fund
– WWF’s Work on Transforming Markets
•
Andrea Johnson, Environmental Investigations Agency
– Drivers at the Intersection of Logging, Timber Trade, and International Investment
•
Questions and Answers, and General Discussion
Why examine the drivers of deforestation? • They’re now part of the UNFCCC negotiations – a two-year process begun with the Cancun Agreements in December 2010
• Recent scientific literature shows that they have changed fundamentally in the last few decades
What are the Drivers of Deforestation in the 21st Century?
Doug Boucher, UCS [email protected]
UCS’ The Root of the Problem report, released July 2011, is a comprehensive review of the literature on the drivers of deforestation
Pieces of the conventional wisdom about what causes deforestation: – Deforestation is driven by population growth in tropical forest countries – Peasant farmers, through their subsistence agriculture and firewood gathering, are the main causes of deforestation
What the recent literature shows: – Commercial agriculture and forestry – especially soybeans, beef cattle, palm oil and timber – are now the major drivers – The markets for these products are global, in both developed and developing countries
Population and Diet • Conventional wisdom: Increasing rural populations are the main cause of pressure on forests • The recent literature shows: Urban populations and export markets, not population growth, are the chief sources of the demand that drives deforestation
Small-scale farmers • Conventional wisdom: : Rural populations are driving deforestation for subsistence farming • The recent literature shows: Small-scale farmers are no longer a main driver of deforestation, although much of the policy literature focuses on them
Wood for fuel • Conventional wisdom: : Poor peoples’ use of firewood is destroying forest • The recent literature shows: Firewood is not a major driver of deforestation, but there is reason for concern about charcoal, especially near cities
So, if these aren’t the drivers of deforestation, what are?
Soybeans • Large-scale commercial soy production grew rapidly in the late 1990s, becoming the cause of about one-fourth of Amazon deforestation • However, civil-society pressure and business responsibility has successfully reduced the impact of soybeans on deforestation in the Amazon to low levels
Beef cattle • Growing beef consumption, both domestically and for export, is causing most Amazon deforestation • However a 2009 moratorium and alternative production systems can reduce its impact
Palm Oil • Palm oil is one of the most important drivers of deforestation in Southeast Asia • It leads to very significant carbon dioxide emissions, particularly when it is planted on peat lands.
Timber and pulp • Tropical timber and pulp does not meet much of the world’s demand, but it is economically important to deforestation in Southeast Asia • The timber industry is closed connected to, and its profits help finance, expanding palm oil and pulp and paper plantations
Thanks to: The ClimateWorks Foundation The Bellona Foundation Pipa Elias, Estrellita Fitzhugh, Lael Goodman, Katherine Lininger, Calen May-Tobin, Sarah Roquemore and Earl Saxon
Fact sheets on our work are available at this side event, and this and other UCS reports can be downloaded at: www.ucsusa.org/whatsdrivingdeforestation and at www.ucsusa.org/forests
