Brazil disappoints with increased deforestation rate just before Paris Climate Change Conference

In the news: theguardian
While deforestation figures had been reducing steadily in Brazil since the implementation of new forest conservation policies, just before the COP21 in Paris, official deforestation figures of the past year August 2014-15 were published that meant a major "setback" for Brazil. The rate of deforestation had increased by 16%. Brazilian environment minister Izabella Teixeira acknowledged the let-down and blamed the increased pressure on land-cover conversion to feed growing livestock-company demand.