This is how much different commodities contribute to deforestation

This is how much different commodities contribute to deforestation

Seven agricultural commodities accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015.

Cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber replaced 71.9 million hectares of forest, an area of land over twice the size of Germany.

At 45.1 million hectares, cattle pasture replaced the most forest by far.

Commodities continue to be one of the leading causes for deforestation worldwide.



New analysis shows that just seven agricultural commodities “” cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber “” accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015. These agricultural commodities replaced 71.9 million hectares of forest during that period, an area of land more than twice the size of Germany.



The results, now available on WRI's Global Forest Review, underscore the outsized role a handful of commodities play in global deforestation.













Land used for cattle is the biggest contributor to deforestation.





Image: WRI











What is agriculture's role in deforestation?

As demand for food and other resources continues to grow, forests are often cleared to make way for new fields and plantations. Scientists estimate that