Subnational institutions and power of landholders drive illegal deforestation in a major commodity production frontier

Blum, Daniel; Aguiar, Sebastián; Sun, Zhanli; Müller, Daniel; Alvarez, Ana; Aguirre, Ines; Domingo, Sergio; Mastrangelo, Matías Enrique

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102511

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Policy shifts are important but will not be sufficient because much deforestation occurs despite legislation prohibiting it. For example, about 50% of deforestation in the tropics is illegal (Blum et al, 2022). Widespread societal acknowledgment of the value of small patches would encourage small‐scale conservation actions and empower local organizations to protect habitat.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Our Analysis Has Important Implications For How the Post-2020mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The production of commodities including beef, soy, or palm oil is responsible for very large losses of forest in these areas (Curtis et al, 2018) (see, e.g., Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina in the Neotropical realm, and Malaysia and Indonesia in the Indomalayan realm; Figure 1A). Therefore, similar deforestation rates in small and large patches in the Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forest could be the result of widespread, large-scale, commodity-driven ongoing deforestation events (Blum et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Loss of the world's smallest forests

Riva

Martin

Millard

et al. 2022

Global Change Biology

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A large number of small forests typically harbor higher biodiversity than a small number of large forests totaling the same area, suggesting that small patches are disproportionately valuable for biodiversity conservation. However, policies often favor protection of large forest patches. Here we demonstrate a global trend of higher deforestation in small than large forest patches: the likelihood that a randomly selected forest plot disappeared between 1992 and 2020 increased with decreasing size of the forest patch containing that plot. Our results imply a disproportionate impact of forest loss on biodiversity relative to the total forest area removed. Achieving recent commitments of the post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will require revision of current policies and increased societal awareness of the importance of small habitat patches for biodiversity protection.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Our Analysis Has Important Implications For How the Post-2020mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Loss of the world's smallest forests

Riva

Martin

Millard

et al. 2022

Global Change Biology

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“…Confronting material inequality embedded in tropical deforestation requires disentangling who influences production decisions, market prices and the distribution of benefits from agro-commodities trade. In multiple instances, these issues are dominated by transnational corporations, who lobby aggressively to ensure policies main the status quo and the undue advantage it offers them (Bebbington et al 2018 ; Blum et al 2022 ). The views, interests, and concerns of producer countries and, more importantly, actual producers are usually left unresolved in policies that directly affect them (Partzsch 2017 , 2021 ), as is the case of both policies examined.…”

Section: Rethinking the Eu’s Role In Addressing Tropical Deforestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the EU shirking responsibility for its deforestation footprint in tropical countries? Power, material, and epistemic inequalities in the EU’s global environmental governance

Kumeh

Ramcilovic‐Suominen

2023

Sustain Sci

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This paper critically examines the European Union’s (EU) role in tropical deforestation and the bloc’s actions to mitigate it. We focus on two EU policy communications aimed at the challenge: stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world's forests and the EU updated bioeconomy strategy. In addition, we refer to the European Green Deal, which articulates the bloc’s overarching vision for sustainability and transformations. We find that by casting deforestation as a production problem and a governance challenge on the supply side, these policies deflect attention from some of the key drivers of tropical deforestation—the EU’s overconsumption of deforestation-related commodities and asymmetric market and trade power relations. The diversion allows the EU unfettered access to agro-commodities and biofuels, which are important inputs to the EU’s green transition and bio-based economy. Upholding a ‘sustainability image’ within the EU, an overly business-as-usual approach has taken precedence over transformative policies, enabling multinational corporations to run an ecocide treadmill, rapidly obliterating tropical forests. Whereas the EU's plan to nurture a bioeconomy and promote responsible agro-commodities production in the global South are relevant, the bloc is evasive in setting firm targets and policy measures to overcome the inequalities that spring from and enable its overconsumption of deforestation-related commodities. Drawing on degrowth and decolonial theories, we problematise the EU’s anti-deforestation policies and highlight alternative ideas that could lead to more just, equitable and effective measures for confronting the tropical deforestation conundrum.

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“…La mayor parte de la deforestación es ilegal y continúa sin cesar, representando alrededor de la mitad de la deforestación total en los trópicos y subtropicales (Blum et al, 2022). La deforestación ilegal resulta del equilibrio entre demandas económicas del sector agrícola y la fortaleza del Estado para garantizar el cumplimiento de la ley (Vallejos et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Tráfico de madera y especies forestales en sedes fiscales ambientales de Moyobamba, Juanjuí y Yurimaguas, Perú 2022-2023

Ordoñez Ruiz,

Ordóñez Sánchez,

Díaz Aguilar

et al. 2023

rcli

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La investigación es descriptiva, tiene como objetivo conocer el accionar de las Fiscalías Ambientales de Moyobamba, Juanjuí y Yurimaguas. Las preocupaciones surgen de los efectos devastadores que tiene esta actividad ilegal. Se trabajó con el análisis relacional de Gray, para establecer el accionar de cada sede fiscal. Se tomó en cuenta la variable Efectividad de las sedes fiscales de Moyobamba, Juanjuí y Yurimaguas en la incautación de especies forestales; así como, el tráfico de madera y especies forestales. El volumen del tráfico de madera incautado en las tres sedes fiscales, supera las 625 134 pt (pies tablares) en lo que va del año. La especie tornillo es la más afectada que, ocupa el primer lugar. La fiscalía de Yurimaguas realizó 80 operativos. La fiscalía de Juanjuí presenta 43 sentencias con pena privativa de la libertad por tráfico de madera y especies forestales. Existen casos investigados y con sentencias efectivas concluyéndose que "más es mejor"; por otro lado, el volumen de madera incautada y las sentencias suspendidas, concluye que, "menos es mejor".

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Subnational institutions and power of landholders drive illegal deforestation in a major commodity production frontier

Cited by 13 publications

References 73 publications

Loss of the world's smallest forests

Loss of the world's smallest forests

Is the EU shirking responsibility for its deforestation footprint in tropical countries? Power, material, and epistemic inequalities in the EU’s global environmental governance

Tráfico de madera y especies forestales en sedes fiscales ambientales de Moyobamba, Juanjuí y Yurimaguas, Perú 2022-2023

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