Deforestation-Free is Possible

A forest patch part of oil palm farmland in Ecuador.

For centuries, cutting and burning down forests was the way to prepare forested land for agricultural activity. This practice is still applied by many farmers around the world. When I visited Ucayali region in Peru last September, many smallholders were burning their land. It was the end of the dry season and the ‘perfect’ moment to clear land to grow more crops.