Agricultural Policies and Tropical Forests

During the past decade, the degradation of the tropical forests has become a major topic in the worldwide discussion of the factors that threaten the long-term survival of the global ecological system. Undisputed in the context is the fact that agricultural production is among the major causes of the continuous reduction of tree cover. As a consequence, efforts to stop deforestation have to accord high priority to agricultural policies that have played a prominent role in this outcome. This paper is concerned with these issues. It explains the role of agriculture in the process of deforestation in different regions and sub-regions and evaluates ways out of the dilemmas under different economic, social, and political conditions.