The food commodities driving deforestation globally

Maize, rice and cassava drive more deforestation than major export oriented crops like cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This has been shown by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in the most comprehensive global survey of how different commodities are causing deforestation. The study confirms the major impact of meat production, but reveals several overlooked drivers of deforestation.

Food production is the main cause of deforestation in the world, but until now there has not been any detailed mapping of which crops affect deforestation in which countries.

Chandrakant Singh, researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, is the lead author of a new study that addresses this knowledge gap. He has developed the Deforestation Driver and Carbon Emissions (DeDuCE) model, together with his colleague Martin Persson, who has extensive experience researching which agricultural commodities drive deforestation. The model links agricultural products with data on deforestation globally. 

‘Deforestation’s links to food production have long been studied, but have often focused on some products, such as beef, soybeans and palm oil, which are well known in the context of deforestation; and some countries in the world, such as Brazil or Indonesia. In our study, we have combined extensive satellite data on land use with agriculture statistics in a way that gives us the most comprehensive and accurate picture yet of what is driving deforestation worldwide,’ said Chandrakant Singh.

The model covers 179 countries and 184 commodities. It shows that a total of 122 million hectares of forest has disappeared due to agriculture driven deforestation during the period 2001 to 2022, of which more than 80% has been lost in the tropics. The study confirms what we previously knew about the main drivers of deforestation: clearing forests to create pasture for meat production, as well as producing major export commodities such as soybeans and palm oil. But the study also contributes some more unexpected results. 

The mapping shows that locally produced and consumed staple crops have a greater impact on deforestation than many major export commodities. Staple crops such as maize, rice and cassava together are responsible for about 11% of all agriculture driven deforestation, while the figure for cocoa, coffee and rubber combined is less than 5%.

Unlike many other commodities, such as palm oil in South-East Asia and soybeans in South America, deforestation linked to staple crops is not concentrated to specific regions, but is distributed across large parts of the globe.

‘The debate on deforestation has circulated a lot around how people in rich countries like ours cause deforestation with our commodities imports, and this is absolutely important to get to grips with. But we mustn’t forget that a large proportion of deforestation is driven by agricultural production for domestic markets. So, to really reduce deforestation, we must also take action in the producer countries,’ said Martin Persson.

The researchers hope that their results can provide important decision support for government agencies and companies wanting to take action to reduce deforestation.

‘Our data shows where the risks are and where initiatives are needed most. The goal is for the model to connect researchers, decision makers, companies and civil society,’ said Chandrakant Singh.

The study also provides a detailed picture of the carbon dioxide emissions that deforestation associated with agricultural and forestry products causes. Farmers and cattle ranchers often clear forested land by burning it, which means that the carbon stored in the vegetation is emitted as carbon dioxide.

These emissions are estimated at around 41 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2001 and 2022, or on average close to two billion tonnes per year. This is a much lower figure than in previous global compilations, where annual carbon dioxide emissions have been estimated at more than twice these figures. According to Dr Singh, the difference can be explained by the fact that their study has used a finer scale attribution method than those used in the previous calculations.

‘But even if the figure is lower than previous estimates, agriculture driven deforestation still causes around 5% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions,’ he explained.

The researchers estimate that the model will be expanded to include non food commodities in the future.

‘We see a need to broaden the analysis beyond food and agriculture. One example is the mining and energy sector, which is a major driver of both direct and indirect deforestation. By broadening the analysis, we can get a more complete picture of which economic activities are putting pressure on forests around the world,’ said Chandrakant Singh.