Intensifying agriculture to reduce deforestation

Description

Intensifying agriculture to reduce deforestation involves increasing crop yields and livestock productivity on existing farmland through improved techniques, technology, and resource management. This strategy aims to meet rising food demands without expanding agricultural land into forests, thereby preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Essential actions include adopting high-yield crop varieties, efficient irrigation, integrated pest management, and soil fertility enhancement, directly addressing the drivers of deforestation by reducing the need for further land conversion.

Context

Agricultural expansion is one of the main reasons for deforestation. Improving productivity of existing agricultural lands may therefore reduce the need for new agricultural land at the expense of forests.

Implementation

Farm trails conducted in Yurimaguas, Peru, show that for every additional hectare with sustainable and high productivity, an estimated 5 to 10 hectares a year of tropical rainforests could be saved from shifting cultivating.