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Why has "sustainable" logging failed to reduce poverty?

User Carloscc
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Final answer:

Logging has failed to reduce poverty due to the lack of financial incentives, unequal distribution of benefits, and the negative impact on agriculture.

Step-by-step explanation:

Logging has failed to reduce poverty despite being labelled as sustainable for several reasons. One main obstacle is the lack of financial incentives for loggers to limit the amount of logging and invest in regeneration. Economic logic often dictates that trees should be felled whenever their rate of volume increment drops below the prevailing interest rate, leading to unsustainable practices.

Another factor is the distribution of benefits from logging activities, which tends to be skewed against the poor. Protected areas have been established at the expense of local communities, displacing them and denying them access to land and resources.

Furthermore, while economic growth based on agriculture has been found to benefit the poorest population, logging activities often lead to deforestation and the loss of valuable resources, hindering poverty alleviation efforts.

User Steg Verner
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