Can Forests Be More Profitable Than Beef? Cattle ranches have ruled the Amazon for decades. Now, new companies are selling something else: the ability of trees to lock away planet-warming carbon.

3 comments

1. As has long been the case, the primary obstacle is that market incentives create a huge financial incentive for fraud.

2. The only reason beef is profitable is because it’s heavily subsidized in a lot of countries. Without the subsidies, it would be too expensive for most people to buy, and production (and therefore profits and environmental damage) would plummet.

3. I’m really skeptical there’s any “market solutions” to be made here. Just send in the army and bring to heel any rancher who burns the forests illegally. That’s the only way to do it.