The rainforest has become increasingly topical in today's eco-conscious society, yet people remain ignorant of the many issues concealed by the language and methods of international development policy. Women's Voices from the Rainforest analyses the causes and effects of such policy. Concentrating on the women pioneers of poorer countries, the book employs a variety of contrasting methodologies, from life histories to questionnaire surveys, to suggest a range of answers to this increasing global concern. In the first study of its kind to focus on the women in the families which are cutting down the rainforest of Latin America, the authors argue for appropriate planning which responds to local cultures, not to Western ideologies, and to which women and men contribute at all levels.