How Animal Agriculture Is Accelerating Global Deforestation (2024)

Forests, which cover 30% of the Earth’s surface, play a critical role in mitigating climate change. Unfortunately, they are disappearing rapidly, and one of the main causes of this is the increasing demand for animal agriculture.

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Disappearing Forests

The Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, is a captivating testament to nature’s abundance and wonder. Often referred to as the “Lungs of the Earth,” it covers 3.4 million square miles of South America and is responsible for 20% of the world’s oxygen production. Spanning nine countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French Guiana – the Amazon hosts an astonishing array of life, boasting over 40,000 species of plants, 3,000 species of fish, 1,300 species of birds, 430 species of mammals, and 2.5 million species of insects. Beyond its role as a sanctuary for diverse flora and fauna, the Amazon serves a critical role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in plant matter in the soil.

Unfortunately, the Amazon rainforest and forests worldwide have faced escalating threats over recent decades. Every year since 2000, the world has been losing about 5 million hectares (20,000 square miles) of forest. The rate of species extinction globally has risen to unprecedented levels – up to a thousand times faster than natural rates.

More on the topic: 10 Amazon Rainforest Deforestation Facts to Know About

At least 75% of this deforestation is attributed to agricultural activities, including the clearance of forests for crop cultivation, livestock grazing, and the production of commodities such as paper. The primary catalyst behind global deforestation is beef production, with the conversion of land for cattle grazing and feed production accounting for approximately 41% of deforestation, equivalent to about 2.1 million hectares annually – roughly half the size of the Netherlands. This equates to over 16.4 million trees lost each day as a result of animal agriculture.

Meat Production and Deforestation

Beef is an incredibly inefficient food source. It takes over 2,500 gallons of water (9,463 litres), 12 pounds (5,4kg) of grain, 35 pounds (15,8kg) of topsoil and the energy equivalent of one gallon (3,8 litres) of gasoline to produce one pound (0,45kg) of feedlot beef. Soy production, which is also one of the leading causes of global forestation, is closely tied to beef production – remarkably, 80% of soy produced globally is fed to livestock, leaving only 20% for human consumption. Because of this inefficiency, large expanses of land are needed to produce food for the billions of animals slaughtered each year, much of which were previously lush forest landscapes teeming with life.

Unfortunately, in spite of the proven negative impacts of beef and other animal agriculture on the environment, meat production and consumption continues to rise significantly, especially in Asian countries.

Global meat production has more than tripled from 1961 to 2021, and increased by 51.6% between 2000 and 2021, from 232.35 million to 352.13 million tons.

Global beef production had a more modest growth rate over this time period, increasing 28.9% from 59.6 million to 76.8 million tons. However, it remains the predominant culprit in terms of deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and myriad other adverse environmental consequences by a considerable margin.

In the majority of instances, deforestation to create pastures for livestock is essentially a permanent change to the landscape; these areas will never be forests again. This is in contrast to deforestation triggered by wildfires or forestry management practices, which are typically able to regenerate over time.

Despite the growing global demand for beef and other agricultural commodities driving deforestation, there are encouraging signs of potential for progress.

In response to pressure from retailers and non-governmental organisations, the world’s major soybean traders enacted Brazil’s soybean moratorium in 2006. In the two years prior to this agreement, deforestation was linked to 30% of Brazil’s soybean production. However, by 2014, deforestation dramatically declined, with just 1% of Brazil’s soybean production affecting deforestation. Extending similar agreements to other sectors, such as the beef industry in South America and palm oil industry in Southeast Asia, holds significant promise for curtailing global deforestation and mitigating the advance of climate change and habitat degradation.

There is evidence suggesting that neighbouring regions, particularly the Cerrado region south of the Amazonas, absorbed a portion of this soybean production. It is imperative that future agreements take into account adjacent areas and anticipate their impact on deforestation and broader ecosystem dynamics.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests, spearheaded by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is mobilising 15 international organisations to develop a joint initiative against deforestation and amplify their collective influence. Addressing the 26th Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu stated that “deforestation and land degradation, together with biodiversity loss, are devastating our ecosystems.” He underscored the critical importance of halting deforestation, affirming that it is “key to tackling the climate crisis by both cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 14% and safeguarding more than half the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity.”

On an individual level, the best thing you can do to prevent deforestation is to eliminate or reduce the amount of beef, dairy, and other animal products in your diet. Beef is the leading driver of deforestation, and the global demand for meat is projected to continue to grow in the coming decades.

According to Joseph Poore, who led a recent deforestation study at the University of Oxford, “[a] vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use.”

Advancements in technology, particularly in meat substitutes and cultured “meat” products, offer the opportunity for consumers to enjoy meat-like products without contributing to the detrimental impact on tropical forests associated with traditional meat production.

We Must Protect Our Forests

Our Earth’s forests are indispensable to sustaining life on this planet, supporting not just humanity but also millions of other species. Yet the relentless surge in demand for beef, dairy, and other meat products is fueling an unsustainable wave of deforestation that is destroying habitats and exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions.

Affecting meaningful change requires a multifaceted approach encompassing progressive legislation, concerted conservation efforts, individual conscientious choices, and the harnessing of innovative technology. This isn’t solely an environmental concern; it’s a global imperative that impacts every citizen. It is a call to action for each and everyone of us to play a part in crafting solutions for a sustainable future.

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