§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the Overseas Development Administration's bilateral aid programme specifically deals with combating the adverse effects on tropical rain forests stemming from unsustainable and unplanned cultivation.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIn 1991–92 the ODA spent some £18 million, or 2 per cent. of bilateral aid, on forestry projects. Present estimates are that aid for forestry will increase to around £35 million this financial year, about 4 per cent. of bilateral aid. Information on aid specifically related to combating the adverse effects of unsustainable agriculture on tropical rainforests is not held centrally. We also help reduce pressure on rainforests through work in other sectors, such as improving the productivity of tropical agriculture and helping reduce population growth rates.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he considers to be the main agents of tropical rain forest destruction.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe main cause of tropical rain forest destruction is conversion of forest land to agriculture. Others include unsustainably managed timber production, fire, mining, and industrial and infrastructure developments. Pressures from overgrazing by livestock and fuel wood collection are also significant problems in the dry tropical forests.