Activity 1: Collection and Provision of Basic Data

The central hub for the assembling and provision of information on the forest - pasture interface in Latin America will be the Virtual Centre and its language platforms in English (FAO-Rome) and Spanish (CATIE), possibly complemented by a Portuguese facility if additional funding can be provided. Types of data include:

• the extent of deforestation and subsequent conversion into grazing land by agro-ecological zone and other bio-physical characteristics, by management form and other technical characters and by property regime and other socio-economic characteristics
• generic and specific livestock infrastructure (slaughterhouses, input supply, services)
• factors (land) and output prices
• environmental parameters
• institutional data base
• environmental regulations.

These will be taken from secondary data sources and will be provided in tabular and map format.

Detailed information will be provided on issues which LEAD has initiated as well as studies and research and development activities, notably:

• in the GEF support project sites in Nicaragua , Costa Rica and Colombia , the information provided will include a detailed description of all relevant parameters based on household baseline surveys to be conducted in the 2 nd half of 2002
• in Brazil , detailed information will be made available on the basis of an analysis of national survey data describing land use changes, ownership patterns and related shifts, livestock production and productivity, scales of production and other parameters relevant to the analysis for the identification of deforestation agents.