The biggest rainforest in the world is the Amazon River Basin. It makes up 40% of the South American continent and is the same size as the contiguous 48 United States. It is home to one in ten of the world’s species. Scientists continue to discover new species every day. Efforts have been made in recent years to protect large swaths of the rainforest: one million square kilometers are being protected, while at the same time, efforts have been made to decrease deforestation and increase investment in sustainable economics for the region such harvesting fruits, latex and timber.

The biggest transgressors against the rainforest, in terms of land usage are cattle and soybean production. Soybeans are a huge cash crop for Brazil, and world soybean consumption is rising. This strikes me as ironic when you consider that there has been a trend towards vegetarianism as it can be healthier, more economically and environmentally stable. One staple protein for many vegetarians is tofu, made from soybeans. Either we eat beef and destroy the rainforest or become a vegetarian and destroy the rainforest. Obviously, it isn’t that simple, but any product that consumers want in mass quantities at a reasonable price requires a cheap agricultural solution. My solution is to buy local as much as I can.