SPDA Sessions. Chapter 2: Impact of monocultures in Amazonia

February, 2020

As part of the second edition of the SPDA Sessions, this chapter addressed a central topic of debate for the country's development: the development and impact of monocultures. That is, large-scale agricultural projects based on the cultivation of a single species.

Monoculture plantations generally make the production of certain crops more efficient on a large scale. However, despite these advantages, a probable indiscriminate expansion of this method can lead to problems such as loss of diversity, deforestation and dispossession of farmers and indigenous peoples. 

The problem of forest loss due to the development of these agricultural activities has been corroborated in an investigation by the Ministry of Environment (Minam), carried out in non-categorized areas, such as permanent production forests, native communities and protected natural areas in 2014. It highlights the expansion of agro-industrial oil palm, cocoa and coffee crops as one of the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon forests.

In addition, Minam emphasizes that deforestation by monocultures such as oil palm has increased exponentially in Loreto since 2006, going from 1250 to 8343 hectares in just 6 years.