Amazon Rainforest Under Threat: Poverty and Unsustainable Farming Practices Drive Deforestation

Efficient Use of Deforested Land and Sustainable Harvesting Could Help Preserve the Amazon

The Amazon rainforest, renowned for its biodiversity, is under threat due to deforestation driven by poverty and unsustainable agricultural practices.
The soil in the Amazon is not rich in nutrients, leading to barren ground after a few years of farming, causing farmers to abandon fields and clear more forest.
Ranching, responsible for 60% to 80% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, is only a third as productive as it should be. Increasing efficiency on the same land area could meet increasing demands for meat through 2040.
Solutions include using already deforested land more efficiently, supporting businesses that sustainably harvest native products, and implementing low-cost natural fertilizers like forage peanuts and pigeon peas.
Climate change impacts are already being felt in the Amazon region, forcing adaptations in farming practices.