The Brazilian government is claiming deforestation in the Amazon forest is at its lowest level in more than two decades. Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc said the decline was as much as 65 percent.

Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc: “This year there was a 46 percent reduction in deforestation in relation to the previous year. According to the Amazon Research Institute, there was a 65 percent fall. This is still unsatisfactory. Deforestation rates are still very high, but this year we will have the smallest deforestation rate of the past twenty-one years.”