Deforestation makes economic sense for many bioenergy crop producers in tropical countries. In Indonesia, siting palm oil plantations in readily available forest areas, including tropical peatlands, can be far less expensive than purchasing existing agricultural areas. Plantations can use the felled timber to finance their start-up costs. In Brazil, expanded sugarcane production for ethanol can displace traditional farmers and ranchers who then seek new areas such as the Amazon region. Source: Clean Air Task Force, Leaping Before They Looked: Lessons from Europe’s Experience with the 2003 Biofuels Directive, October 2007, p. 14.