The following are some of the major, globally-traded commodities that are driving tropical deforestation.
Logging truck in Africa. Image courtesy of Rosemary Brown
Timber
Global trade in tropical timber is worth approximately US$16 billion per year, with illegal timber representing an additional US$7 billion. Asia is currently the largest exporter of logs, followed by South America and then Africa.
Palm oil
Production of palm oil is highly lucrative and has grown rapidly over the last decade due to its versatility and high productivity. Demand projections for edible palm oil suggest that an additional 250,000 hectares per year will be required worldwide until 2050. In Indonesia and Malaysia, which produce over 90% of palm oil, about half of palm oil expansion is reported to occur at the expense of forests.
Cattle
Ranching is one of the leading causes of deforestation in South America. Brazil has become the world’s largest exporter of beef, with exports reaching US$4.4 billion annually. Global demand for beef is projected to rise by 1.7% yearly over the next decade.
Soy
While most of soy production occurs in grasslands and dry forests in countries such as Brazil, Argentina and the United States, occurrences of soybean production replacing closed-canopy forests increased by 15% between 1999 to 2004. Soy production also has an indirect impact on forests by displacing cattle ranching into the forest frontier. Demand for soybeans – for human consumption and animal feed – is projected to require an additional 20 million hectares over the next decade.
Cocoa
West Africa accounts for 70% of the world’s cocoa production. Approximately six million farmers depend on cocoa production for their livelihoods. Demand for cocoa has increased steadily over the last century by 3% annually. Meeting this demand has led to deforestation in parts of West Africa and Indonesia.
Coffee
Traditionally, coffee was grown under canopy and did not result in outright deforestation. However, the development of higher-yielding varieties requiring full sun in combination with a rapid rise in coffee consumption has led to increased forest loss. Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia are the leading exporters of coffee.
Rubber
Rubber plantations have resulted in forest loss in Africa, South America and especially in Asia, where three quarters of natural rubber is produced. The majority of rubber production occurs at smallholder scale providing a livelihood to 20 million families.
Mining
The world’s rainforests feature vast deposits of bauxite, coltan, diamonds, gold, oil, and many other minerals. While mining operations occupy relatively small areas, infrastructure built to extract minerals often facilitates increased migration into the forest, resulting in timber extraction and clearing for subsistence agriculture.
Biofuels
The link between biofuels and forest clearance is most often indirect. For example, in the case of palm oil, only 2% to 5% of global production is used for biodiesel production. However, demand for biofuel feedstocks (such as sugarcane or corn) can increase the value of land in agricultural zones, pushing lower yielding activities such as cattle ranching into forested land.