Source: Cool Earth
The Brazilian government has announced a plan to use sustainable rubber in the country's contraceptive industry, in a bid to help rainforest communities support themselves, it has been reported.
Announcing the plan, the government said it hopes that by using rubber from trees in the Amazon, Brazil will be able to reduce its dependency on imports and help local people have a sustainable livelihood, said the Guardian.The Brazilian government is the world's largest single buyer of condoms and according to reports, it imports some one billion of them every year.
"Most recently, the government has started to include condoms in the basic basket of goods that it distributes for free to low income families as part of its strategy to combat hunger," noted the newspaper.
Brazil runs a number of HIV/Aids campaigns aimed at curbing the spread of the disease, which is often more prevalent in developing nations.
Huge parts of the Brazilian Amazon are under threat from deforestation caused by logging, the global food industry and other business.