The need of nutrition stimulates the conversion of forests...

The need of nutrition stimulates the conversion of forests to farm and pasture land.22 It can be seen that in many countries, such as Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and the Philippines, the main drivers of deforestation are industrial tree plantations, industrial agriculture, cattle ranching, and planting of oil palm.23 For instance, cattle ranching is the major driver of 73% of Amazon forest loss in Brazil.24 In some countries, the planting of exotic species or the converting of forest to agricultural land in order to generate personal wealth or for export to industrialized countries can cause forest degradation, and this negatively affects the livelihood of forest dwellers.25 Sadly, the moment that a forest is lost to agriculture, the land mass typically is accompanied by of the loss of the flora and animals that once lived there.26 2.3.

Conflict Over Land Tenure A major factor that causes deforestation and conflict in Ghana, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and the Philippines is a constant uncertainty over land rights. Indeterminate land tenancy and rights of the original forest inhabitants is the most important issue. The indigenous people have taken care of the forests for centuries.

Despite this, the same people who protected the forests are not given any consideration by the governments, and they are sometimes displaced violently.27 As the forests have increased in value, with investors having vested interests, this has led to the setting up of protected areas of the forests. The use of protected areas as a conservation measure of forests was highly condemned in Colombia. They claimed that this has never worked for the last two decades.

On the other hand, in Philippines, it has been claimed that the issue of protected areas was just a pretense in the name of forest conservation, whereas it went against the rights and privileges of the indigenous people to occupy and move freely in the forest.

Consequently, these forest restrictions have led to a reduction in the traditional learning of how to protect forests.28 Some countries have arising issues in the laws concerning ownership and the right to live in forests as what has been constitutionalized. For example, in Ethiopia, the terra nullius principle considers unoccupied lands not to be owned and can be given to anyone.