Following years of drastic deforestation in the Brazilian rainforest, a small forest agriculture, or agroforestry, program has been started. Their best-known projects are shade-grown coffee and chocolate. In addition to food production, the main objective of the program is restoration of the land’s vital carbon sequestration capability.
Because of climate change, it may be that tropical
programs such as this will be needed in agricultural areas that are currently
temperate. The gradual migration of plant species to higher latitudes and elevations expected
with increasing temperatures is symbolically represented in this allegorical
painting.
Unfortunately, existing agroforestry
programs are not keeping up with the continuing destruction of the rainforest aimed
at freeing up land mainly for the purpose of growing soy for beef production.
