Drivers of Deforestation and REDD+ - Can REDD+ Compete?

This policy brief examines the relationship between global food demand, meat production, and the opportunity costs associated with deforestation, specifically questioning whether REDD+ can compete with the profitability of land use for livestock and grain.

• Global food supply pressure is expected to increase as the human population grows to over 9 billion by the middle of the century, compounded by dietary changes. Meat production is particularly resource-intensive, requiring up to 10 times the land, energy, and water needed for equivalent amounts of non-meat food.
• There is a significant imbalance in global grain use, with 40% of the supply fed to livestock while hundreds of millions of people lack sufficient food. Because the extensive raising of livestock and grain for feed is profitable, forests face increased pressure from competing land use demands, necessitating that REDD+ be able to compete with these opportunity costs.
• The review explores the meaning of opportunity costs within the context of REDD+ and their implications for local communities, arguing that tackling deforestation equitably requires an understanding of deforestation drivers and the accompanying incentives and livelihood opportunities.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2014). Drivers of Deforestation and REDD+ - Can REDD+ Compete? https://cdkn.org/resource/drivers-of-deforestation-can-redd-compete

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Drivers of Deforestation and REDD+ - Can REDD+ Compete? 2014. https://cdkn.org/resource/drivers-of-deforestation-can-redd-compete.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Drivers of Deforestation and REDD+ - Can REDD+ Compete? |date=5 August 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/drivers-of-deforestation-can-redd-compete |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2014drivers, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Drivers of Deforestation and REDD+ - Can REDD+ Compete?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/drivers-of-deforestation-can-redd-compete}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }