Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments

Goldsmith, Peter; Cohn, Avery

doi:10.1177/1940082917727994

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…For example, it is argued that promoting “sustainable intensification” of agriculture on already cleared lands could readily supply production that might otherwise be expected to come at the cost of future land conversion ( Carlson et al, 2018 ). This requires linking smallholders (farmers) with commercial international agriculture ( Goldsmith & Cohn, 2017 ). This, however, does not mitigate the already high environmental costs of cleared land.…”

Section: Conclusion and Key Challenges Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation

Estrada

Garber

Mittermeier

et al. 2018

PeerJ

145

146

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Primates occur in 90 countries, but four—Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—harbor 65% of the world’s primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worst-case-scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia, 62% for Madagascar, and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. Primates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, and actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range countries need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems.

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Section: Conclusion and Key Challenges Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation

Estrada

Garber

Mittermeier

et al. 2018

PeerJ

145

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Given the rapid pace and large scale at which forests have been cleared in most primate-range countries, promoting "sustainable intensification" of agriculture on already cleared land would increase production and may help to forestall further land conversion (Carlson et al, 2018). In addition, connecting farmers who are small landholders with international commercial agricultural entities, may also bring direct economic benefits to the rural poor, as long as their land is protected from debt or confiscation (Goldsmith & Cohn, 2017). However, intensification of agriculture that increases yields will not reduce global hunger as long as a small number of consumer nations distantly located from production areas continue to over-consume and waste food and other commodities.…”

Section: Conclusion and Closing Commentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding global commodities trade and consumption place the world’s primates at risk of extinction

Estrada

Garber

Chaudhary

2019

PeerJ

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As a consequence of recent human activities. populations of approximately 75% of the world’s primates are in decline, and more than 60% of species (n = 512) are threatened with extinction. Major anthropogenic pressures on primate persistence include the widespread loss and degradation of natural habitats caused by the expansion of industrial agriculture, pastureland for cattle, logging, mining, and fossil fuel extraction. This is the result of growing global market demands for agricultural and nonagricultural commodities. Here, we profile the effects of international trade of forest-risk agricultural and nonagricultural commodities, namely soybean, oil palm, natural rubber, beef, forestry products, fossil fuels, metals, minerals, and gemstones on habitat conversion in the Neotropics, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Total estimated forest loss for these regions between 2001 and 2017 was ca 179 million ha. The average percent of commodity-driven permanent deforestation for the period 2001–2015 was highest in Southeast Asia (47%) followed by the Neotropics (26%), South Asia (26%), and Africa (7%). Commodities exports increased significantly between 2000 and 2016 in all primate range regions leading to the widespread conversion of forested land to agricultural fields and an increase in natural resource extraction. In 2016, US $1.1 trillion of natural-resource commodities were traded by countries in primate range regions. The Neotropics accounted for 41% of the total value of these exports, Southeast Asia for 27%, Africa 21%, and South Asia 11%. Major commodity exporters in 2016 were Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Africa, countries of high primate diversity and endemism. Among the top 10 importers were China, the US, Japan, and Switzerland. Primate range countries lag far behind importer nations in food security and gross domestic product per capita, suggesting that trade and commodity-driven land-use have done little to generate wealth and well-being in primate habitat countries. Modeling of land-use and projected extinction of primate species by 2050 and 2100 under a business as usual scenario for 61 primate range countries indicate that each country is expected to see a significant increase in the number of species threatened with extinction. To mitigate this impending crisis, we advocate the “greening” of trade, a global shift toward a low-meat diet, reduced consumption of oil seed, diminished use of tropical timber, fossil fuels, metals, minerals, and gemstones from the tropics, accompanied by a stronger and sustained global resolve to regulate and reverse the negative impacts of growing unsustainable global demands and commodity trade on income inequality, and the destruction of primates and their habitats.

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“…The tropics provide important environmental services and resources and productive lands that are essential to meeting future global food supply (Goldsmith and Cohn 2017). The tropics are also the site of increased commercial agricultural expansion (Laurance et al 2014).…”

Section: Tropical Agriculture Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental pressures on tropical agroecosystems driven by increased agricultural demand will result in asymmetrical declines in ecosystem services depending on future management trajectories and adaptive capacity of land managers (Goldsmith and Cohn 2017;Schlenker and Lobell 2010;Williams and Jackson 2007). Ultimately the vulnerability and sensitivity of tropical farming to climate change depends on the type of production system used, with tropical agricultural systems being more vulnerable due to a high concentration of developing nations and populations, primarily dependent on rain-feed systems (Battisti and Naylor 2009).…”

Section: Vulnerability Of Tropical Crops To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%