This report examines whether the recent increase in biofuel feedstock production is resulting in increased deforestation rates and magnitudes within tropical regions. It reviews several methodological challenges for undertaking this analysis, and presents a set of preliminary findings. The analysis is focused on three regions from a global perspective: Latin America, southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Significantly increased rates of deforestation in Indonesia from the 1970s to the 2000s have brought pressure on law enforcement agencies to better enforce the law and prosecute forest crimes. Generally, criminal wrongdoing in the forestry sector is only prosecuted under the provisions of the Forestry Law. Several reports and results of studies suggest that these sanctions are ineffective in stopping crimes in the forestry sector because they only catch the petty criminals in the field. The main actors who fund and plan large-scale illegal activities persistently evade sanctions.
This article on China's forest trade with Myanmar builds on an earlier study by the same authors: “Navigating the Border: An Analysis of the China-Myanmar Timber Trade” [link]. The analysis in this study moves on to identify priority issues along the market chain of the timber trade from the Yunnan-Myanmar border to Guangdong Province and Shanghai on China’s eastern seaboard.
Las respuestas más importantes al cambio climático se enfocan en la mitigación (reducción de la acumulación de gases causantes del efecto invernadero) en vez de centrarse en la adaptación (reducción de la vulnerabilidad de la sociedad y los ecosistemas). No obstante, puesto que actualmente se reconoce que cierto grado de cambio climático es inevitable, la adaptación está adquiriendo importancia en el ámbito de políticas.
Infobrief ini memberikan gambaran awal tentang 17 proyek percontohan REDD+ yang dikembangkan di Indonesia pada pertengahan tahun 2009. Terdapat variasi yang tinggi dalam pelaksanaan dan uji coba proyek percontohan REDD+ yang dilakukan oleh para pemrakarsa. Tiga dimensi utama yang bermanfaat untuk mengelompokkan proyek-proyek percontohan tersebut adalah: 1) tingkat perencanaan tata ruang dan heterogenitas dari klasifikasi hutan, 2) strategi untuk menyelesaikan klaim jangka panjang terhadap karbon, dan 3) faktor pendorong dan penyebab utama deforestasi dan degradasi.
Key Messages
• A governance approach, combining public policy and private initiatives was effective in slowing down deforestation, but
was unable to support a transition to more sustainable production systems.
• New technical intensification models must be identified for low-productivity systems in degraded lands, adapted to the
biophysical and sociotechnical conditions of the Amazonian landscapes.
• Multiple constraints inhibit progress toward sustainable intensification of cattle ranching, and reversing them requires that
Since 2000, US$ 2.0-2.7 billion has been invested in feedstock cultivation for biofuel in 16 forest-rich countries, mostly in oil palm and sugarcane. An additional US$ 5.7-6.7 billion has been invested in biofuel production, especially sugar-based ethanol. While investments in some countries are driven by domestic policies to reduce fossil fuel imports, most are export driven. Sugar-based ethanol offers more opportunities to capture value added than biodiesel feedstocks which are amenable to export and processing abroad.
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