Beef, Palm Oil and Timber: How Wealthy Nations Fuel Deforestation

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A major #research study reveals that demand for #beef #palmoil, and #timber in wealthy nations is driving mass deforestation and species extinction in tropical regions. Habitat destruction mainly for agriculture accounts for 90% of all tropical #deforestation. Countries like the US, UK, and Germany are main drivers of rainforest destruction in the #Amazon, #Indonesia, and #Africa, displacing indigenous communities and sending many rare species of animals towards #extinction. Advocates call for a boycott of deforestation-linked products to stop this crisis such as meat and #palmoil. Every time you shop you can resist and fight for them when you #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife and go #Vegan.

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Study Confirms Wealthy Nations’ Demand for Palm Oil, Beef & Timber is Driving Global Deforestation

A major new study has revealed that the world’s richest nations are directly responsible for mass deforestation and biodiversity loss through their consumption of palm oil, beef, timber, soy, and cocoa. The research confirms that these industries are fuelling habitat destruction, species extinction, and displacement of indigenous communities.

The study found that high-income countries account for 13% of global forest loss occurring beyond their own borders. The biggest culprits are:

• Beef 🐄 – The leading cause of global deforestation, responsible for nearly 60% of all forest loss. Rainforests in the Amazon and Central America are burned and cleared to make way for cattle ranching.
• Palm Oil 🌴 – Found in 50% of supermarket products, palm oil plantations have destroyed vast rainforests in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Africa, pushing orangutans, tigers, and hornbills to the brink of extinction.
• Timber and Paper 📄 – Logging for furniture, construction, and paper production is wiping out old-growth forests across South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Many so-called “certified” or “sustainable” wood products still drive illegal deforestation.
• Soy 🌱 – Vast areas of the Amazon and Cerrado are destroyed for soy production, most of which is used to feed animals in factory farms.
• Cocoa 🍫 – Chocolate production is linked to widespread deforestation in West Africa, where rainforests are illegally cleared to grow cocoa.

Exporting Extinction: The True Cost of Consumption

The study warns that wealthy nations are effectively outsourcing biodiversity destruction. The US, UK, Germany, and China import massive amounts of these deforestation-linked products, making them directly responsible for the loss of critical ecosystems.

• Thousands of species at risk 🦧🐅 – Around 90% of global biodiversity loss is caused by habitat destruction, most of which comes from agriculture.
• Indigenous communities under threat – Land grabs and deforestation for commodities like palm oil and beef displace indigenous peoples, violating their rights and destroying their traditional ways of life.
• Carbon emissions rising – Forest destruction is worsening climate change, eliminating the world’s most important carbon sinks.

Read the full article here in The Guardian

Weston, P. (2025, February 14). Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber. The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/14/richest-nations-exporting-extinction-with-demand-for-beef-palm-oil-and-timber-aoe.

ENDS

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