Once a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, the Amazon Rainforest is being developed into a monoculture of farmed commodity crops. An increase in exports of soya to China, cotton and paper fibers throughout the Americas and beef to Europe are creating a new landscape for the Amazon.

Eucaliptus tree plantations on land cleared from the Amazon rainforest in Ulianopolis Municipality, Para State, Brazil, Aug. 12, 2008.