🔅 An F Grade: Market-Based Forest Conservation
The French Drama with a Heartwarming Tale of Love and Loss
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Market-Based Forest Conservation Schemes: A Failing Report Card
In a groundbreaking scientific review, a group of 15,000 scientists from 120 countries has delivered a sobering verdict on market-based approaches to forest conservation. The report, compiled by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), suggests that initiatives like carbon offsets and deforestation-free certification schemes have largely failed to protect trees or alleviate poverty.
Despite the promise of a "triple win" for the environment, economy, and people, the evidence suggests otherwise. According to contributing author Maria Brockhaus from the University of Helsinki, poverty and forest loss persist across different regions of the world where market mechanisms have been the main policy option for decades.
Since the last IUFRO assessment in 2010, there has been a rise in complex and overlapping market-based schemes, with financial actors and shareholders more interested in short-term profits than long-term sustainable forest governance. Lead author Constance McDermott from the University of Oxford notes that while not all individual projects may be guilty of this, it's hard to say they've been a rousing success overall.
Unintended Consequences and a Lack of Accountability
The report highlights several cases where market-based approaches have had unintended consequences. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for instance, a $120 million project reinforced entrenched interests by restricting local people from forests without addressing logging by powerful extractive businesses.
Meanwhile, green trade policies imposed by wealthy countries, like the EU's ban on imports linked to deforestation, may look good on paper but fail to consider the knock-on effects. As McDermott points out, there's no accountability if these policies don't work or if farmers are pushed off their land as a result.
The Carbon Market Conundrum
Despite recent turmoil, carbon markets are projected to grow into a multi-billion-dollar industry as corporations increasingly turn to credits to meet their net-zero climate targets. While some, like Kenya's President William Ruto, see Africa's carbon sinks as an "unparalleled economic goldmine," there are growing concerns about how much of that revenue poor communities might expect to see, with unscrupulous actors accused of exploitation.
The report's authors urge a "radical rethink" of market-based approaches to forest conservation. Brockhaus emphasizes that while these approaches may be appealing to policymakers, they won't be a solution without also addressing the broader economic and governance challenges around forest management.
A Heartwarming Tale of Love and Loss: Àma Gloria Shines with Stellar Performances
Àma Gloria, a French drama directed by Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq, is a small-scale film that packs an emotional punch.Â
At the heart of this story is an incredible performance by six-year-old Louise Mauroy-Panzani, who plays Cléo, a young girl whose world is turned upside down when her beloved nanny, Gloria (played by real-life nanny Ilça Moreno Zego), has to return to her home country of Cape Verde.
The opening scenes of the film beautifully capture the special bond between Cléo and Gloria. Having lost her mother as a baby, Cléo finds solace and love in the care of her nanny, while her father (Arnaud Rebotini) remains gentle but distant, still grappling with his own grief.Â
Despite its short runtime of just over 80 minutes, Àma Gloria leaves an almighty impression on its viewers. With its stellar performances and sensitive storytelling, this film is a must-see for anyone who appreciates the beauty and poignancy of human connection.
Food for Thought
“The young bird does not crow until it hears the old ones."
— Tswana Proverb