Deforestation, Coffee Cultivation, and Land Degradation ... - lumes

esources—the Mata Atlântica rainforest—while providing for economic and social stabilityin the agricultural sector.2.3 The Value of Forests and BiodiversityAs discussed in Agenda 21, the conservation of forests and their biodiversity is of utmostconcern in the road towards sustainable development. Rainforests in particular are underintense pressure from the demands of man, and deforestation of these fragile and complexecosystems is occurring at an alarming rate. The main cause for deforestation is humandevelopment, and more specifically the pressure to expand agricultural lands (Sitarz 1994).Much literature has been devoted to the discussion of the economic value of forests(McNeely 1990). The value of economic losses from deforestation has been estimated atbetween 500-1000 million US dollars (Brown 1991). It can be shown that the health andexistence of forests stretches into many aspects of economic development. As discussed inAgenda 21: “Forests are not only a source of timber and firewood, but also play a veryimportant role in many vital areas. Soil conservation, the regulation of water cycles, theexchanges of gases and nutrients, including carbon dioxide, and the maintenance of reservoirsof rich biodiversity are but some of their roles” (Sitarz 1994 p. 94).Rainforests are home to an astounding amount and diversity of plant and animal life. Agenda21 asserts that the benefits to be gained from biodiversity go even beyond the intrinsic andhumanitarian desire to preserve the organisms that share this Earth. Biodiversity presents avirtually untapped source of genetic material that has many uses including pharmaceuticalbenefits (25 percent of all medicines are derived from plants [Wilson 1986]), new sources offood, and other products. Further, the threat of biodiversity loss has not yet been determined,but it is well recognized that the survival of humankind is linked to the presence of theorganisms that help maintain the same ecosystems we inhabit (Sitarz 1994.)2.4 Agricultural and Rural DevelopmentIn developing countries such as Brazil, agriculture represents a very important share of thenational economy as well as a significant livelihood for the country’s citizens. Agenda 21addresses the need for sustainable agricultural and rural development, identifying the need for“policies pertaining to land tenure, population trends, appropriate farm technologies and amore open trading system that would enhance rural households’ access to food” (Sitarz 1994p. 84).Additionally, Agenda 21 looks at the consequences of uncontrolled land use and themismanagement of land resources in an agricultural context. Soil erosion and landdegradation are decreasing the value of land while the need for agricultural production isincreasing. This dilemma is forcing farmers to stretch their resources to the maximum.Agenda 21 explicitly states the need to understand the physical, economic, and social causesbehind land degradation in order to develop land use plans and better land managementstrategies (ibid.).3. BackgroundThis section provides the background materials necessary to understand the development andsignificance of the problems presented in this study. Deforestation in Brazil is more oftenassociated with the Amazon than with the lesser-known Mata Atlântica rainforest. Thereforea description of the Mata Atlântica is presented in order to explain to the reader the7