The Brazilian government is establishing a centre for biotechnology research and development in the Amazon to help fight deforestation.

Opening later this year in the city of Manaus, the centre will be the largest of its kind in Latin America and hopes to develop financially competitive alternatives to agriculture, which is a major cause of deforestation.

It will search for and develop forest biodiversity products in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.

&#8220Developed countries decry tropical deforestation but neither governments nor markets currently remunerate tropical countries for their biodiversity.”

Dr José Carlos Carvalho, Brazilian minister of environment and forests

Dr José Carlos Carvalho, the Brazilian minister of environment and forests (www.mma.gov.br) said: ‘Currently, the only way in which tropical countries can obtain reasonable remuneration for their highly biodiverse forests is through predatory use. Developed countries decry tropical deforestation but neither governments not markets currently remunerate tropical countries for their biodiversity.’

Ecotourism is also being promoted in the Amazon through a US$200m project supported by the InterAmerican Development Bank.