In spite of the extraction being illegal, those who do this cannot really be considered criminals. It is difficult to convince these people, who have no other source of subsistence, of the need to preserve the forest resources and biodiversity and maintain the climate of the planet. At the same time, local governments tend to choose short-term alternatives in the search for development patterns for the region. In the specific case of the heart of palm, one of the alternatives is to promote sustainable extraction through plantation or management of existing stock, permitting this activity to be legal and introducing it into the formal market so as to guarantee a reliable and permanent source of revenue for the population. As a fundamental action, consumers must be encouraged to buy heart of palm extracted in a sustainable manner.

There is an additional factor to consider with sustainable forestry. Not many of us today, citizens or policy-makers, recognize the power of the consumer. But consumer power is the key to the implementation of a healthy and sustainable living standard in the world. Influencing market demand for heart of palm by imposing discrimination on its origin through identification of the container jars, and promoting educational campaigns about sound consumption, are the most effective ways to banish predatory exploitation practices. A similar rationale can be applied to the predatory exploitation of mahogany timber in the Amazon. Mahogany is a tropical hardwood obtained by rainforest logging. Custom Dissertation Assistance online by qualified dissertation essay writers on the net for students! It has a warm red colour and high polish. The species is under threat due to its popularity for use in the manufacture of musical instruments, furniture and veneers. Mahogany demand comes mainly from the North and consumers are probably unaware of the environmental damage caused by its unsustainable extraction. There are attempts to make mahogany the first hardwood tree listed under the CITES Convention, thus establishing an international market mechanism to control the origin of mahogany imports. Significantly, however, Brazil did not support this initiative in the last meeting of the parties in Harare.

The association of sustainable forest management with sustainable transport measures is key to the solution of global climate change and other related matters. Forest and fossil fuel burning are the major contributors, and only a change in consumer and production patterns in these two areas can improve the situation. Consumers can ride buses instead of driving their own cars. They can drive less, buy cars that pollute less, and avoid purchasing products that hasten the destruction of forest habitats. Consumers can say no to mahogany or buy an electric car where available. They can switch to solar panels and refuse to buy meat from cattle raised in the rain forest. Numerous measures are within the reach of common citizens. Consumers are the sleeping bears in this matter who can roar once awakened.