Cases / Tree planting · Chile · 1974–2012
Chile's Decree-Law 701 planting subsidy raised tree cover but cut native forest
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
A 1974–2012 decree that paid 75 percent of planting costs in Chile was linked to rising tree cover and falling native forest. A 2020 study found no rise in carbon storage and faster biodiversity loss.
What?
Chile's decree-law subsidy for planting trees increased tree cover but reduced natural forest, a 2020 analysis found. UC Santa Barbara
Where?
Chile. UC Santa Barbara
When?
Subsidy period 1974–2012; 2020 analysis reported in June 2020. UC Santa Barbara
Who?
Gained
- Planters receiving the subsidy — State payment of 75 percent of planting costs UC Santa Barbara
Lost
None on recordHarmed
- Native forest and biodiversity in Chile — Native forest declined and biodiversity loss accelerated, per the 2020 analysis UC Santa Barbara
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
A state subsidy covering 75 percent of planting costs under a decree-law. UC Santa Barbara
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
UC Santa Barbara reported that Chile's Decree-Law 701 covered 75 percent of afforestation costs between 1974 and 2012.
UC Santa Barbara reported a 2020 analysis finding that the subsidy increased tree cover and reduced natural forest, and did not increase carbon storage.
The same report says the analysis found that biodiversity loss was accelerated.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- None on record The sources reviewed do not name the planters or companies that received the payments.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not say whether the decree remains in force.
- None on record The title and journal of the 2020 analysis are not given in the sources reviewed.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts— Press and investigations— Communities and civil society✓ Researchers
Researchers
- Forgetting the forest for the treesUC Santa Barbara · 2020-06-25
Connected cases
Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
- Petorca residents rely on tanker water as avocado orchards draw on scarce supply Chile · 1981
- Government of Chile (Government) — here: Set and funded the planting subsidy under Decree-Law 701; there: Water Code legislator and 2022 reform
- Tompkins Conservation donates land in Chile to state for two new national parks Chile · 2018–2019
- Government of Chile (Government) — here: Set and funded the planting subsidy under Decree-Law 701; there: Received the donated land for national parks