A regional court in Loreto, Peru, ruled in favor of a United Cacao subsidiary in a case concerning the company clearing almost 5,000 acres of Amazonian forest in the country's northeast. The case was brought by Peru's Forestry Department, which claimed the company needed the department's approval before clearing trees for a cacao plantation. Observers point to ambiguities in Peru's environmental laws that allowed the site to be classified as agricultural despite the presence of forest. A Ministry of the Environment official said loopholes allowed the company to clear the area, but that the country's new forestry law, currently undergoing public comment, would require ministry approval for such projects.  For the full story, see http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0416-mrn-gfrn-cannon-court-rules-united-cacao-deforestation-legal.html.