Paraguay leads the world —in Hydro Power, Soy, and Charcoal
Paraguay, a country with a population of 6.8 million, leads the world economy in several ways. This is not just about our love for the country but a legitimate fact. Paraguay is a world leader when it comes to renewable energy, soy production, and it is one of the top exporters of wood charcoal. Let’s find out how Paraguay ranks in each of these industries.
Renewable Energy: Paraguay relies solely on Hydro Power for its energy needs
When it comes to the use of renewable energy or its production, our natural inclination is to look towards countries like Sweden or Norway. But unlike the common belief, it’s countries like Paraguay, Nepal, and Albania that lead the world in the highest utilization of renewable energy. The World Bank data indicates that each of these countries meets 100% of their energy requirements through renewable sources. Unlike other countries, Paraguay shifted towards hydropower in the 1970s. The state receives its hydropower from two dams: the Itaipu and Yacyretá. The Itaipu dam is the second largest hydroelectric dam in the world, trailing only behind the Three Gorges Dam in China.
Soy Production: Paraguay is the sixth biggest producer of soybeans and soybean oil
Soybeans are one of the most important crops grown at a global level. Paraguay is the sixth largest producer of soybeans. It produces roughly 10 million metric tons or three percent of the worldwide soybean supply every year. It’s interesting to note, that soybean accounts for roughly 32 percent of the total exports of the country, valued at approximately $2.19 billion. The primary markets for Paraguay’s soybean produce include the EU, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico. More than 3.1 million hectares of land is used for soybean production in the country.
Wood Charcoal: Fifth largest exporter of wood charcoal
Wood charcoal is another area where Paraguay is ahead of most of the global economies. It is one of the largest exporters of wood charcoal, with its primary markets in the EU, UK, and US. However, the production of wood charcoal has attracted criticism from international as well as local environment preservation groups. Research from these groups indicates, that the demand for Paraguayan wood charcoal is one of the primary reasons behind the deforestation of the Chaco forest. In 2017 alone, Paraguay lost close to 200,000 hectares of forests to wood charcoal production and cattle-ranching for beef. Most of these deforestation activities are progressing in an unsustainable manner. This is destroying the Chaco forest at a never-before-witnessed rate.
TreeCoin: Restoring environmental balance by planting over 10 million trees
Research from NASA reflects, that in addition to being the top producers, Paraguay also leads the world in deforestation. Between 1985 and 2018, the Chaco forest lost roughly 20% of its cover, primarily to agrarian and cattle ranching activities.
TreeCoin aims to address this unsustainable exploitation of Paraguay’s natural resources through a systematic planting of over 10 million trees in roughly 12,000 hectares of land. TreeCoin will use the produce of its plantation to meet commercial timber demands and create a footprint to meet the world’s wood demands in a viable manner. Additionally, the project aims to bring economic development to the local area and people through employment and other social initiatives.
If you want to become a part of a sustainable, green, and healthy environment, join TreeCoin in its mission.
Originally published at https://tree-coin.io on July 1, 2019.
