Drivers of Deforestation

The document argues that large-scale commercial agriculture and timber enterprises, rather than subsistence farming, are the leading drivers of tropical deforestation. It highlights the role of cattle ranching in the Amazon, palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia, and the global demand for timber and paper. The text emphasizes that tropical deforestation accounts for approximately 15 percent of global warming pollution due to the release of carbon stored in trees. It cites the Brazilian soybean moratorium as a successful example of how industry can grow without further forest clearing through societal pressure and improved land-use practices.

• Tropical deforestation is a significant contributor to climate change, accounting for roughly 15 percent of global warming pollution worldwide because trees store about 50 percent of their total weight as carbon, which is released as carbon dioxide when cut.
• While deforestation was historically attributed to subsistence farmers, recent scientific evidence indicates that large commercial agriculture and timber enterprises are now the primary drivers.
• Cattle ranching is a major driver of deforestation in the Amazon, where land clearing can increase land value five- to ten-fold, despite low meat productivity per acre.
• Palm oil production, primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, is a disproportionately high source of global warming emissions because plantations are often established on swamp forests, leading to the decay of carbon-rich peat soils and the release of carbon dioxide and methane.
• The global demand for wood and paper products drives deforestation, with Southeast Asia being particularly affected due to the high density of commercially valuable species making wholesale logging profitable.
• A voluntary moratorium on soybean expansion into the Amazon has been remarkably successful, demonstrating that the agricultural export industry can grow through yield increases and the use of non-forest lands without causing further deforestation.
• Small-scale farming and firewood collection are no longer the majority drivers of global deforestation, although wood fuel collection remains relatively more important in Africa where large-scale industrial drivers are less prevalent.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2011). Drivers of Deforestation. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/DriversofDeforestation_Factsheet_Summary.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Drivers of Deforestation. 2011. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/DriversofDeforestation_Factsheet_Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Drivers of Deforestation |date=July 2011 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/DriversofDeforestation_Factsheet_Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2011drivers, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Drivers of Deforestation}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2011}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/DriversofDeforestation_Factsheet_Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }