Forest loss for food production

Agricultural expansion in the tropics is recognised as one of the primary drivers of deforestation. However, precise data on the link between agriculture and tropical deforestation is lacking. Pendrill et al. compiled and analysed existing studies and collected data to quantify the extent to which tropical deforestation between 2011 and 2015 was linked to agriculture. The researchers estimated that at least 90% of deforested land was in areas where deforestation was driven by agriculture, yet only about half of the deforested area was converted into productive agricultural land. Data availability and trends vary across different regions, indicating highly complex links between agriculture and forest loss in tropical regions.