Brazil pioneers reforestation plan - 7 Dec 09

2012-05-31 2

Brazil's Amazonas state has been pioneering a pilot project in which Brazilian families are taught to survive and prosper from the forest, without destroying it.

More than 300 families live on the Juma sustainable development reserve, land that was demarcated by the state government as a no-go area for loggers and ranchers.

The families receive a small stipend from the government in exchange for their commitment not to cut the forest.

It is all part of a conscious effort to break the cycle of deforestation via economic opportunity. But will the international community commit to help the Brazilian government pay for it?

Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from the Juma reserve in the Brazilian Amazon.