Daily Skiff

Brazil is localizing condom production to reduce import costs.

According to an article from the BBC Web site, Brazil is making condoms from rubber trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Health officials said this will aid in preserving the largest rainforest in the world. The preservation comes from the large supply of natural latex in the rubber trees, preventing parts of the forest to be cut down, according to the article. The creation of this product will benefit at least 500 families and provide 150 jobs in the town of Xapuri, where the condom factory will be, according to the article.

In addition to preserving the rainforest, this new product will help Brazil's condom-distributing program, an attempt to curb the rising number of people infected with HIV. Brazil has been doing a great job pursuing this program to prevent the spread of the disease, and now with a domestic condom provider, Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, it will be able to continue distributing contraceptives without relying on distribution from another country.

The reduction of transportation will help Brazil save money on distribution fees and reduce emission on a global scale.

According to The Epidemiological Fact Sheet on Brazil by the World Health Organization, Brazil had an estimated 140,000 adults and children die from AIDS in 2005. With a population of about 186 million, the country's free-condom distribution is one of the biggest in the world, according to the BBC Web site.

Until now, Brazil has depended on imported contraceptives for distribution, purchasing more than a billion condoms, says the article.

This is a great use of Brazil's resources. An action like this from a big country like Brazil is sure to create a ripple effect for other countries that share the Amazon rainforest. As the green saying goes, "Think globally, shop locally."

Opinion editor Ana Bak is a junior news-editorial journalism and political science major from Quito, Ecuador.

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