Reference no: EM133134391

If changing your behavior as a consumer would help preserve the world's rainforests, would you make the change? As the demand for soy and beef grows, the demand for the clear-cutting of forests to create more agricultural lands increases. Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay have all dedicated large amounts of land to try and accommodate the growing demand for soy and soy products. Although beef consumption has grown less rapidly, beef cattle and cattle feed production has caused tremendous global deforestation. Beyond foods, the demand for Brazilian wood products has increasingly resulted in deforestation. Although the nation has set aside legal areas for logging and has invested in means to curtail illegal logging, the demand for the timber increases the likelihood that illegal logging will occur. Since the countries that are participating in and experiencing deforestation are doing so to export items to other nations, global leaders must work together to address the issue. They must consider how to meet demands without increasing global deforestation or negatively impacting the economies of the producing countries. Although it may seem like an issue too large for individuals to tackle, individual choices drive the demand for foods and timber products. If changing your diet and your choice of timber would help preserve the world's rain forests, would you make those changes? Would you encourage others to do the same?