In a series of reports, we have demonstrated that the Mennonites have become a leading cause of large-scale deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. The Mennonites, a global religious group dating back to the 1600s, often require vast tracts of land to support their characteristic industrialized agricultural activity. As such lands have become scarce in other […]
In a series of reports, we have documented the recent massive deforestation by Mennonite colonies in the Peruvian Amazon (see MAAP #188). Here, we present additional evidence that Mennonites are currently clearing primary Amazon forests: very high-resolution satellite imagery (0.5 meters from Planet’s Skysat fleet). Specifically, we compare a series of very high-resolution satellite images tasked over the same area on different […]
Starting in 2017, new Mennonite colonies began appearing in the Peruvian Amazon, coming from other parts of Latin America in search of new lands. TheMennonites, a global religious group dating back to the 1600s, often require vast tracts of land to support their characteristic large-scale, industrialized agricultural activity. In a series of reports, we have demonstrated […]
Since 2017, the Mennonites have arrived in the Peruvian Amazon and created 5 new colonies. Here, we show that these colonies have caused the deforestation of more than 4,800 hectares (11,860 acres) of tropical forest, including 650 hectares (1,600 acres) in 2022. The Base Map shows the current situation regarding the Mennonites in Peru. Note […]
In a series of previous reports, we have documented the extensive recent deforestation from new Mennonite colonies arriving in the Peruvian Amazon (see MAAP #149). However, despite the extensive evidence provided by satellite images, the Mennonites have repeatedly denied this deforestation (see References). Most recently, we detected that the Mennonites had resumed deforestation in the […]
We present a first look at the major 2021 Amazon deforestation hotspots.* The Amazon Base Map illustrates several key findings:p We estimate the loss of over 1.9 million hectares (4.8 million acres) of primary forest loss across the nine countries of the Amazon biome in 2021. k This matches the previous two years, bringing the total […]
The Mennonites, a religious group often associated with agricultural activity, have become one of the major deforestation drivers in the Peruvian Amazon. In October 2020, we reported the deforestation of over 3,400 hectares across three new colonies established. Here, we show that in 2021 the Mennonites have established a fourth colony (over 400 hectares) and […]
Tropical forests store massive amounts of carbon. However, when these forests are cleared (and often subsequently burned), the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere, further driving global climate change. The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical forest, with Peru forming the second-largest piece, directly to the west of Brazil (the largest). The Peruvian Amazon […]
We present a first look at the major deforestation hotspots across all nine countries of the Amazon in 2021 (as of September 18).* The Base Map illustrates several key findings thus far in 2021:p We estimate the loss of over 860,000 hectares (2.1 million acres) of primary forest loss across the nine countries of the Amazon. p Amazon deforestation has been […]
The Mennonites, a religious group often associated with organized agricultural activity, have started three new colonies in the Peruvian Amazon. We have documented the deforestation of 8,500 acres (3,440 hectares) in these three colonies over the past four years (updated October 2020). The deforestation started in 2017, but continues to be active in 2020 (with […]
