Protecting Rainforests Offers U.S. Ag Benefits
U.S. farm and forest products groups are urging Congress and the administration to help end tropical deforestation.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 27, 2010
A group of leading farm and forestry groups is calling on Congress and the administration to help end tropical deforestation. The groups are citing a new report showing overseas agriculture and logging operations are expanding production by cutting down rainforests - which floods the market with cheap commodities and undercuts American prices.
The report estimates that ending deforestation will boost revenue for U.S. producers between $196 billion and 4267 billion by 2030.
At a teleconference to release the report, The National Farmers Union, the American Forest & Paper Association, the United Steelworkers (representing forest products workers), and the Ohio Corn Growers Association called for the protection of tropical forests as part of comprehensive energy and climate legislation and other policies.
In a press statement, Fred Yoder, Ohio Corn Growers Association, notes: "Saving rainforests isn't just for treehuggers anymore. It is in all of our best interested to protect forests."
You can read the report - called "Farms Here, Forests There: Tropical Deforestation and U.S. Competitiveness in Agriculture and Timber" authored by Shari Friedman of David Gardiner & Associations on behalf of the National Farmers Union and Avoided Deforestation Partners. Check it out at www.adpartners.org/agriculture.
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