“The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence that makes no demands for its sustenance and extends generously the products of its life activity; it affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the man who destroys it.” ― Gautama Buddha

Forests cover a third of all land on Earth, furnishing vital infrastructure for some of the planet's most diverse collections of life. From coastal temperate rainforests to oak woodlands, forests support diverse habitats that include 300 million people, 60 million of whom are indigenous and whose survival depends on the woods.  

Among forests, tropical forests play the most important role in mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.  With half of the world’s terrestrial species, tropical forests hold an extraordinary library of biological and genetic resources, much of which has yet to be explored as components of medicines and other useful products.

In folklore, forests have always been a magical refuge, full of marvels that can restore us and connect us to all life. But these valuable ecosystems are disappearing; about 80,000 acres of tropical forest is lost per day. We are coming to recognize that we must become the heroes that our forests need to survive.

Next to oceans, forests are the most effective defense against climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, storing vast amounts of carbon in the process. But the loss of tropical forests, in particular, has become so extensive that more carbon is being released by tropical deforestation and degradation than all the world’s cars and trucks combined and possibly more than is being stored by the remaining trees. Among climate change mitigation tools, halting tropical deforestation is one of the top five solutions.

Large forests also provide numerous ecosystem services, influencing regional rainfall patterns and creating microclimates. With their vast root systems and canopies, trees are able to recharge aquifers, filter water, stop erosion, clean the air, mitigate flooding and provide us with food, fiber, and the timber that is fundamental to the 1.6 billion people who make their livelihoods from tree products.

Despite the critical services we receive from forests, 30 percent of global forest cover has been cleared while another 20 percent has been degraded. Why is this happening? 70% of deforestation in the largest areas of tropical forest is caused by the expansion of farming and industrial plantations. Right now, the top commodities produced on recently cleared land in places like Brazil and Indonesia are beef, soy, palm oil and wood products. 

Deforestation in the Amazon

Another cause is increased consumption. As more rural populations migrate to urban centers, they start to eat more meat and processed foods. This accelerates deforestation to create more farmland. A dramatic increase in Amazon clearcutting in the early 2000s was linked to international market demand for soy and beef, particularly from China.

Logging, mining, and infrastructure development also play a role in decreasing forest cover. Mining in forests can be particularly destructive, not only annihilating trees and tearing up soils, but damaging and polluting rivers. Currently, 10% of deforestation in the Amazon is caused by mining, and companies are pressing for permission to expand further.

While there’s high public awareness of deforestation, it’s not broadly understood that forests aren’t just being destroyed, they are becoming more and more fragmented by human uses. Only in the Amazon and the Congo, are there uninterrupted masses of tropical forest. Every other forest has been segmented into landscapes that function like green islands, not surrounded by water, but by civilization. Species from insects and birds to jaguars and pythons are declining because they can’t establish their appropriate habitat ranges, find sufficient food, and ensure genetic diversity among their populations.

Yet there is tremendous opportunity to reverse these trends and conserve the tropical forests upon which we depend.

Many strategies, including those initiated by multilateral and governmental organizations, are critical to conserving tropical forests. Battery Powered aims to support targeted wins or tipping points in areas that will best respond to private sector funding.

Protected Areas

Setting up protected areas, such as national parks and biological reserves, effectively reduces deforestation by creating legal protection, and ideally a management structure, to ensure its integrity. For biodiversity protection, it’s also important to maintain biological corridors between protected areas to avoid the pitfalls of forest fragmentation.

The most effective protected areas must be financially viable for local communities and must involve the communities in developing and managing the area. For instance, the indigenous Embera people of Panama are paid to collect data in a forest on their native territory, thereby promoting conservation and assisting science. At the global level, the United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation program has laid the groundwork for economic incentives for 44 developing nations to preserve tropical trees instead of cutting them down, but there is potential to do much more.  

The Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems and is the last place where Sumatran orangutans, elephants, tigers, rhinos, and sun bears still roam the same habitat. But it is under serious threat and has lost 20% of its lowland forests to deforestation in just five years.

Indigenous Rights and Governance

Evidence shows that when indigenous peoples’ rights to traditional lands and self-determination are respected, forests are maintained. Yet the status quo is for corporations and governments to overlook or intentionally ignore the rights of indigenous people while they pursue economic interests over ecological balance.

For example, the Wapichan people of Guyana are facing threats to their land from agribusiness, mining and road development. Monitoring their territory with community teams, drones, digital maps and smartphones, the Wapichan set up a website to present their data. Efforts like this empower the community, raise awareness, and stave off the encroachment of business interests. 

“By not recognizing the indigenous peoples as owners of the protected areas, the government opens our territories to an invasion of people seeking to expropriate the land, destroy the forests, and turn our ancestral home into a source of money.”    - Norvin Golf, President of coalition of miskito tribes 

New technologies and tools allow for high-resolution monitoring of changes in forests at scale and in close to real time. GPS, drone, and satellite image-based deforestation alerts, along with remote physical sensors in forests, can provide for immediate action against illegal logging activities and poaching in protected forests. By sharing monitoring data and making other forest data accessible through cell phone apps, civil society organizations, journalists, and citizens can hold governments and business accountable, while empowering the public to make more responsible purchasing decisions. 

Sustainable Supply Chains

Left unchecked, agricultural production could result in complete loss of tropical forests. Solutions must include engaging with companies to shift their supply chains away from deforestation. This includes supporting or pressuring companies to make commitments to go deforestation-free and to increase the use of recycled wood, pulp, and paper in their products. Shareholder advocacy has resulted in significant changes at companies like McDonald's, L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson and others to move away from practices that contribute to deforestation. But commitments are not enough. Advocacy groups that monitor and report on these commitments play a key role in ensuring that policy turns into practice.  

Improving the sustainability of supply is one side of the equation; reducing demand is the other.  Consumers can change their own behaviors, putting their dollars toward companies with strong sustainability practices.  We can also reduce our own demand for products that are the biggest contributors to deforestation. A diet rich in plants is a demand-side solution to deforestation and global warming.  So Meatless Monday may pack a bigger impact punch than you realized.

You can impact deforestation. switch your paper at home and work to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified products. Do you use a printing company in your business? Ask if they are FSC-certified.