Local and national food crops in the Andean Amazon
Many of our staple food products are highly dependent on industrial agriculture and global supply chains, but small farmers in the Amazon continue to produce foodstuffs for their families, local…
Environmental headlines
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Certificate of origin for Acre’s açaí is a boost for the Amazonian superfood
The municipality of Feijó in Acre state is the first in Brazil to receive a certification of origin for its açaí berries, raising hopes that the economy centered around the fruit will grow in value.
Peru’s crackdown on illegal gold mining a success, but only briefly, study shows
Between 2019 and 2020, the Peruvian government cracked down on illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios, its southeastern Amazon region, through an unprecedented initiative dubbed “Operation Mercury.” But according…
Robotic insect reveals evolutionary secrets of the fastest flapping fliers
Swatting a mosquito is a frustrating task as it buzzes away, its wings carrying it faster than seems physically possible. Amidst the vast animal kingdom, insects have evolved and maintained…
Indonesia pushes carbon-intensive ‘false solutions’ in its energy transition
MALINAU, Indonesia — Indonesia’s newly revised energy transition plan includes a more stringent limit on carbon emissions, an increase in the share of renewable energy generation, and a diversified range…
Any fossil fuel phase-out deal at COP28 must include global shipping (commentary)
Earlier this year, countries at the UN agreed to step up climate action on one of the world’s greatest polluters: global shipping. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) set targets to…
Despite progress, small share of climate pledge went to Indigenous groups: report
Funders of the historic $1.7 billion pledge announced at the 2021 U.N. climate conference say they have disbursed about 48% of the money meant to bolster the land rights of…
Brazil cattle traceability program to limit deforestation in Pará state
One of Brazil’s largest states is ramping up efforts to monitor cattle ranching in the hopes of combatting deforestation and reducing carbon emissions. A new traceability program will keep tabs…
New volcano toad from Mount Kenya reveals an ancient lineage
Eight years ago, a research team from the National Museums of Kenya stumbled upon an unfamiliar frog on the eastern flanks of Mount Kenya. The small green toad has now…
Nearly half of the world’s flowering plants face the threat of extinction, study says
A less colorful world looms on our horizon. Almost half of the world’s flowers are in danger of extinction, according to a recent preprint posted on biorxiv.org. A group of…
What Brazil should have said at COP28 but didn’t (commentary)
Positive changes President Lula’s speeches at the Climate Conventions 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai contained positive signs for Amazonia and for mitigating climate change. Brazil had the…
Biden can tip the (pangolin) scales on China’s illegal wildlife trade (commentary)
In a new, tersely-worded letter to Congress, President Biden uses a word that – just a few short years ago – was seemingly foreign to the lexicon of most Americans. Threatening…
Brazil proposes $250 billion “Tropical Forests Forever” fund for rainforests
Brazil has proposed a new mechanism for conserving the world's tropical rainforests. During a panel at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva and Finance Minister…
Red flags but no repercussions for ‘certified’ Malaysian logger Samling: Report
The biggest timber firm in Malaysia’s Sarawak state has been able to maintain sustainability certification despite clearing forests for oil palm plantations and skipping steps in informing affected communities, according…
Lombok sand mine corruption probe continues as Indonesia to resume exports
EAST LOMBOK, Indonesia – Takdir spent years protesting against the sand mine by his home on the east coast of Lombok, an island east of Bali in Indonesia’s West Nusa…
New guidebook draws on real-world experiences for running private nature reserves
A new guidebook provides practical guidance for creating and managing sustainable private nature reserves. The "Sustainable Nature Reserves: Guidelines to Create Privately Protected Areas" offers step-by-step recommendations for individuals, nonprofits,…
Ancient Amazon earthwork findings spotlight Indigenous land struggles today
The Amazon has long been considered home to Indigenous peoples, dating back thousands of years. They worked the land in ways we are familiar with today. They built ditches, ponds,…
Indigenous land rights are key to conservation in Cambodia (commentary)
While Indigenous peoples comprise just 6% of the global population, they manage or have tenure rights over at least 38 million km2 in some 87 countries. In many places Indigenous…
Sieged by mining and megaprojects, the Munduruku push for land rights in the Amazon
The Sawré Muybu Indigenous Territory is in the final stages of getting state protection, but previous right-wing administrations delayed demarcation.
Germany signals boost in support for Brazil through Amazon Fund
Germany was among the donor countries that welcomed the revival of the Amazon Fund at the start of the year, seen as an important conservation measure by Brazilian President Luis…
Poverty and plantations: Nigerian reserve struggles against the odds
Situated in western Nigeria, some 70 kilometers (113 miles) east of Nigeria’s commercial city of Lagos, Oluwa Forest Reserve is facing severe pressure from smallholder farmers and big plantations. On…
As RSPO celebrates 20 years of work, Indigenous groups lament unresolved grievances
JAKARTA — When the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the world's largest association for ethical palm oil production, kicked off the second day of its annual roundtable conference on Nov.…
The man who made a pact with wild bees in Colombia’s Amazon
LA CEIBA, Colombia — Nine years ago, Delio de Jesús Suárez Gómez made a pact with wild bees. The arrangement didn’t come easy, given that neither party knew each other…
Logging, road construction continue to fuel forest loss in Papua New Guinea
Plonked between the formidable Owen Stanley mountains to its west and the Solomon Sea to the east lies Oro, a remote province in Papua New Guinea east of the capital…
Scientists unearth secrets of the world’s smallest porcupine species
In 1996, Dutch biologist Marc van Roosmalen first described a small “piggy-like” porcupine near the Madeira River in the Brazilian Amazon. The creature had brown fur, yellow and black quills,…
At COP28 & beyond, fair carbon markets must be part of the climate finance solution (commentary)
All eyes will be on oil-rich United Arab Emirates for the next few weeks as it plays host to the UN’s COP28 climate summit. For the 8th year in a…
Palestinian olive farmers hold tight to their roots amid surge in settler attacks
The first rainfall of autumn after months of drought signals the start of the olive harvest, the most important time of year for many Palestinian farmers. Between October and November,…
No safe space for Nepal’s sloth bears outside protected areas, study finds
KATHMANDU — Hari Prasad Sharma recalls being astonished when he visited the Chure region in Nepal’s southern Madhesh province to study sloth bears. Sharma, an associate professor of zoology at…
Guatemala braces for unprecedented year of deforestation in Maya reserve
Central America’s largest protected area is in for a difficult year next year. The Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala is facing increased pressure from cattle ranching at the same time…
In Chile’s far south, scientists record an island’s quickly shifting ecology
This story is the first part of a Mongabay series titled “Climate Crisis in Cape Horn” that won the Inter American Press Association Award for Excellence in Journalism in the…
