From Policy Design to Field Implementation: Fostering Deforestation-Free Cattle Ranching in Madre de Dios, Peru.

In Peru, deforestation and climate change are linked: Agriculture is the country’s leading driver of deforestation and about 45% of its greenhouse gas emissions come from land use, land-use change, and forestry. The national government has demonstrated its willingness to halt deforestation by adopting forest and climate goals and designing strategies and enacting policies such as its ambitious NDC which identifies the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) as a key measure for GHG emission reduction. In Madre de Dios (MDD), one of the most biodiverse regions in the Peruvian Amazon, expansion of low-tech, extensive cattle farming is the main cause of deforestation and environmental degradation; however, several actions are being taken to tackle GHG emissions. This project will bridge the gap between planning and action in support of low carbon, deforestation-free silvopastoral cattle ranching.