Colombia's rainforest is part of the Amazon and is rich in biodiversity. However, cattle ranching is rapidly expanding in the country, leading to deforestation and fragmentation of the rainforest at the expense of unique species and habitats. The main drivers are economic; beef production is profitable and is carried out both legally and illegally.
'There is an urgent need to regulate land tenure and strengthen environmental regulations. People also need alternative sources of income, such as agroforestry, ecotourism or community forestry,' says Jesica López, a PhD student at the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC) and the Agenda 2030 Graduate School at Lund University.
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