Rich in biodiversity and home to rare species such as jaguars, which are on the brink of extinction in the region, these forests are being destroyed at one of the fastest rates in the world.
The rate of this destruction has accelerated since 1996 when Monsanto introduced genetically engineered soya beans into Argentina. Since then, the country has extended its agricultural frontiers to grow genetically engineered soya for export as animal feed particularly to the European Union and China, at the expense of its threatened forests, wildlife and the home and livelihoods of many forest dwelling people, including indigenous people.
