In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Brent Sohngen, a professor at the Ohio State University and a university fellow at Resources for the Future, about the intersecting forces that are helping curb and reverse deforestation in Latin America. Sohngen discusses the origins of his research on forests in Latin America; the relationship between economic conditions, technological innovations, and the health of forests in Latin American countries; how property rights and community ownership can motivate effective stewardship of forests; and ongoing efforts to protect forests in Latin America and across the world.

References and recommendations:

“Reversing Deforestation: How Market Forces and Local Ownership Are Saving Forests in Latin America” by Brent Sohngen and Douglas Southgate; https://www.sup.org/books/politics/reversing-deforestation

“A Wild Idea” by Jonathan Franklin; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-wild-idea-jonathan-franklin

“The Overstory” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/

Reversing Deforestation in Latin America, with Brent Sohngen

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.