A new study published at Forest Trends shows that half of the world’s deforestation is driven by illegal conversion for commercial agriculture.
This comprehensive analysis presents the first-ever assessment of the extent of illegal deforestation and forest conversion for commercial, export-driven agriculture.
The report’s findings suggest that around half of this illegal deforestation was driven by overseas demand for commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products worth an estimated $61 billion per year. In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent communities and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce the equivalent of 25% of the EU’s annual fossil fuel-based CO2emissions.
The infographic below shows some of the countries with the biggest share of illegal deforestation See original infographic at Forest Trends
