Inequality promotes deforestation in Latin America
Agricultural expansion is the main cause of deforestation in Latin America. Improving agricultural productivity can either enable forest conservation, or promote more deforestation. A new University of Bern study highlights the role played by inequality: high inequality leads to more deforestation, while lower inequality improves the long-term protection of remaining tropical forests.
Reference publication
Ceddia M.G. The impact of income, land and wealth inequality on agricultural expansion in Latin America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814894116
Source
Medienmitteilung Universität Bern