Agriculture is the most important driver of deforestation and forest degradation globally. National level REDD+ policies will need to address agriculture as a driver of deforestation and forest degradation, and ensure that local level food security is not compromised to ensure the long-term political and social sustainability of REDD+. Harmonisation of agricultural and REDD+ policy goals will require agricultural intensification in some areas, however this alone will not be sufficient.

This paper suggests that the most appropriate and effective REDD+ policy interventions to reduce the impact of agricultural expansion on forests is likely to differ depending on the type of agriculture driving deforestation. It discusses a number of potential policy options as well as their likely socio-economic impacts and highlights methods to mitigate these.