Chaco province promoted illegal deforestation for 15 years, Nature study reveals

A scientific article published in the journal Nature has revealed that the Argentine province of Chaco has employed six administrative strategies over 15 years to promote illegal deforestation and reduce the protection of native forest areas. The study, which utilized geographic analysis and official data obtained through public information requests, indicates that these methods effectively "legalized" deforested zones and encouraged logging to benefit agricultural, livestock, and timber industries.

The research, conducted by biologist Matías Mastrangelo of Conicet and environmental scientist Vera Krause of the Julius Kühn-Institut in Germany, found that these strategies spanned multiple provincial administrations. Governments led by Jorge Capitanich (PJ), Juan Carlos Bacileff Ivanoff (PJ), Domingo Peppo (PJ), and Leandro Zdero (UCR) all implemented changes to forest protection regulations. These changes have significantly contributed to the loss of the Argentine portion of the Gran Chaco, the second-largest ecosystem in South America after the Amazon.

"Deforestation in the Chaco region is a state policy that does not distinguish between parties," Mastrangelo stated. The Gran Chaco, the world's largest dry forest, spans Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. Between 1985 and 2020, nearly 30% of this ecosystem was lost, with Argentina accounting for the largest reduction, losing 10.3 million hectares, an area nearly equivalent to the province of Santa Fe.

A previous study highlighted that this ecological loss also generates productive and commercial problems, including reduced productivity due to the loss of ecosystem services, the risk of losing markets due to increasingly stringent deforestation-free value chain requirements, and financial risks associated with sustainable production demands from international credit organizations. One identified method involves reclassifying forest protection zones to permit productive activities. For instance, in 2012, Chaco authorities reclassified protected areas from 'yellow' (limited impact activities allowed) to 'green' (modification allowed with authorization) at the request of 60 large landowners, despite the native forest law requiring revisions every five years.

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Deforestation in the Chaco region is a state policy that does not distinguish between parties.