Source: Cool Earth
The endangered Amazon rainforest is being further threatened by a growing demand for soybeans, according to an environmental group.
In a speech, the president of the Earth Policy Institute Lester Brown said that rising demand for the product is seeing the Amazon rainforest "invaded" - and that the soybean "totally dominates" the agriculture industry in Brazil.Soybean production in the country leads to problems in terms of rainforest protection, he said, and noted that farmers are hit by the dilemma of "how to satisfy the continually expanding demand for soybeans without clearing so much of the Amazon rainforest that it dries out and becomes vulnerable to fire".
The Amazon is suffering due to worldwide demand for other products - such as meat, eggs and other food stuffs - the report also stated, and it is now "essential" for growth in soybean demand to be stalled in order to protect the ancient forest.
Huge areas of the forest are used by farmers to keep cattle used by the fast food industry and the region is also impacted by deforestation to make way for other types of industry such as logging.