The push to create a powerful world carbon market may be sputtering, but David Kaimowitz believes there are other—perhaps better—ways to curb greenhouse-gas emissions caused by deforestation of Latin America’s tropical woodlands. While the swidden agriculture—sometimes called “slash and burn”—of small farmers and communities in tropical forests is often blamed for deforestation, more important drivers that also can be addressed are oil palm, timber and ranching operations, says Kaimowitz, a former director of the Center for International Forestry Research who is the Ford Foundation’s Mexico-based director of sustainable development. And Kaimowitz sees an especially important role for indigenous people in the strategy known as Redd—reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Redd is likely to be discussed at the next climate summit, slated for early December in Lima, Peru. Kaimowitz spoke by phone with EcoAméricas correspondent Barbara Fraser. [Log in to read more]

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