In addition to a proposed US bill that encourages forest preservation, nations around the world are experimenting with a novel concept; paying farmers to not farm. From India to the Amazon farmers are toying with the idea that they can save the rainforest and feed their families. The Brazilian program is supported by both the government (see the recent article in the nytimes) and non-profits which pay farmers $12/acre of rainforest, rainforest that will remain intact rather than be razed for soy or cattle cash crops. The statistic which I find most interesting is the $1200/acre cleared rainforest brings to farmers in the Amazon. I am unsure if this figure includes the cost of clearing. Brazilian laws require that 80% of the watersheds in the upper Amazon and 50% of developed watersheds must remain forested. Although there is little stopping farmers from clearing (Brazil issued a permit for a farmer to clear 12000 acres, this doesn't exactly make sense...) exporters have placed a moratorium on Soy products grown on recently deforested land.
While this is a great step forward, the result could be an over-utilization of existing farmland; saltation and pesticide/fertilizer runoff take a toll as well. In India where a similar law is being considered, ~21% of the nation remains forested.
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