Economic Perspectives on Deforestation: A Historical and Economic Analysis

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[...] However, in the context of international climate negotiations, the preservation of the forest is a complex issue. In fact, developed countries that position themselves in favor of protecting primary forests, for example in the Amazon or in Asia, take positions that can be poorly perceived by countries whose income level depends on the exploitation of these natural resources. 8. Deforestation, a local issue but with global stakes In other words, the international community is now forced to find common solutions to preserve these common heritage. [...]

[...] Convergences and divergences 7. A very clear break: the development of the capitalist model of natural resource exploitation The confrontation of historical and economic visions of deforestation allows us to outline a relatively complete picture of the phenomenon. On the one hand, we see that the exploitation of the forest by man constitutes an ancestral activity that cannot be separated from the agricultural model as it has progressively developed during the Christian era, with a generalization of this system during the Middle Ages. [...]

[...] Now deforestation primarily concerns virgin areas, which present the main interests in terms of regulating climate change. Scientists estimate that 13 million hectares disappear each year. However, forest restoration programs as well as forestry crops instituted by man make it possible to partially offset these losses, so that the net loss of forest domains represents each year an area between 5 and 8 million hectares. 2. General overview of deforestation in the world The study of deforestation highlights significant disparities in terms of geographical zones worldwide. [...]

[...] Whether it is the importation of paper pulp, wood, palm oil, rubber or soybeans, all these activities heavily weigh on the bioclimatic balances4. 6. An exponential and difficult to reverse phenomenon Starting from the observation that in the space of 50 years, nearly 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed, scientists have studied the different stages of human progress on the forest domain. Thus, several activities contribute to the progressive reduction of forest spaces: agriculture, of course, but also the creation of transportation infrastructure (ports, highways, railways Or more than 20 highway projects are currently being discussed in Latin America, and specialists estimate that for an official road, nearly 20 clandestine routes are created5. [...]

[...] Conclusion Thus, deforestation is a complex phenomenon that involves understanding both historical and economic dimensions. To this end, a historical analysis was conducted to show that the development of human societies cannot be isolated from deforestation: a true natural resource, the forest constitutes a reservoir of raw materials and spaces, to the point that in Western Europe, primary forests are almost completely disappeared. In their place, managed and rationalized forests have gradually replaced the natural domain, or even entirely artificial monoculture forests. [...]