Deforestation is an illegal activity, a crime, and therefore it’s promoted by other illegal agents; however, the diagnosis process must be improved so as not to include livestock and agriculture [in the same category] which are legal activities within the formal economy,” Fonseca says. “If palm deforestation was indeed present [inside the reservation], those plantations are not part of Fedepalma, as we make major efforts in terms of research and technical assistance to comply with demanding environmental standards.”

I really like it"The community is not holding people accountable because they are afraid of retaliation, according to Cubides. “Here, people come and take over 500 or 1,000 hectares [up to 2,500 acres] but they place intermediaries who are not the owners or the ones paying to clear [the forest],” he says. “The problem is that if you give someone’s name then you become a military target and no one is going to risk losing their lives.”