Under the shade of a tall canopy in the Amazon jungle, Brazilian Indians and officials asked U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for support in protecting the world's largest rainforest. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva expressed the need for concrete mechanisms to benefit the Amazon residents, during a meeting with Ban near Belem. Ban, who was on a South American tour focusing on global warming, was urged by Amazon Indian Marcos Apurina to create incentives for forest dwellers to sustain themselves. Ban promised the United Nations' support and received gifts from the forest, including a necklace made of native plant seeds. This is a shared resource for all people on Earth." Recently, Ban interacted with a sloth and planted trees at a botanical garden in Belem. Ban is getting ready for a UN climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December, where discussions on reducing carbon emissions after the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012 will take place. Brazil is a major contributor to global carbon emissions because of the Amazon rainforest's destruction, as reported by international environmental organizations. Ban did not address Brazil's decision not to set targets for decreasing deforestation and carbon emissions. Instead of criticizing Brazil, he praised the country for reducing forest destruction by 50 percent in two years, despite the recent increase in deforestation rates. The Amazon's release of carbon dioxide from burning or decomposing trees contributes to global warming. Farmers and loggers clear large areas of the forest each year, depending on market prices for grain, beef, and timber. Silva, a former rubber tapper and activist, asked Ban to help overcome opposition from some Western countries to a proposal in the international Convention on Biodiversity that would require pharmaceutical companies to pay for drugs derived from Amazon medicinal plants. Silva reported that Ban listened to the proposal and said he would study it after a meeting on Monday. Scientists are warning that global warming could lead to a portion of the Amazon transforming into a semi-arid savanna in the coming decades. Extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, have already been observed in some areas. A planned trip by Ban along an Amazon tributary near Santarem was canceled due to shallow waters. Ban commended Brazil for its efforts in developing low-emission biofuels but emphasized the need for more international research to assess the potential impact of large-scale production on food supplies. During the weekend, he visited a plant in Sao Paulo state that contributes to Brazil's status as one of the largest and most affordable ethanol producers. The administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has intensified efforts to crack down on illegal loggers and has expanded protected areas. However, there are concerns among conservationists that the construction of roads and hydroelectric plants could ultimately lead to an increase in deforestation.