The Domino Effects of Tropical Deforestation

The Domino Effects of Tropical Deforestation
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), we lose over 10 million hectares of forests every single year. That’s the same as losing an area the size of New York’s Central Park every 18 minutes.
In this graphic from our sponsor LEAF Coalition, we take a look at the drastic knock-on effects of tropical deforestation: from significant greenhouse gas emissions and irreversible loss in biodiversity to the impact on the lives of Indigenous Peoples.
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector
When looking at how greenhouse gas emissions break down by sector, the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for nearly 15% of global emissions.
Moreover, global models estimate that net emissions from land use and land use change are mostly as a result of deforestation.
Sector | % of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2019 |
---|---|
Energy: Electricity & Heat | 31.8% |
Agriculture, Forestry, & Other Land Use | 14.9% |
Energy: Transport | 14.3% |
Energy: Manufacturing & Construction | 12.7% |
Energy: Fugitive Emissions | 6.8% |
Energy: Buildings | 6.2% |
Industrial Processes | 6.1% |
Energy: International Bunker | 2.6% |
Energy: Other Fuel Combustion | 1.2% |
From 2002-2015, a handful of commodities were responsible for 55% of all agriculture-linked deforestation. These include:
- Cattle: 36.7%
- Palm oil: 8.5%
- Soy: 6.7%
- Cocoa: 1.9%
- Coffee: 1.5%
And according to Forest Trends, half of global tropical deforestation occurs illegally as a result of this demand.
Impacts on Nature and People
The damage from tropical deforestation also extends to loss of biodiversity which has significant impacts on Indigenous Peoples and the animal population.
- 50,000: Estimated number of species that become extinct each year due to deforestation.
- 60M: Indigenous Peoples worldwide who completely depend on forests for their livelihoods.
Protecting tropical forests is vital to mitigate these critical losses. Does your business want to do more to fight climate change?
Join the LEAF Coalition, the world’s largest public-private initiative to halt tropical deforestation.

-
Economy3 hours ago
Visualizing the Link Between Unemployment and Recessions
This infographic examines 50 years of data to highlight a clear visual trend: recessions are preceded by a cyclical low in unemployment.
-
Culture2 days ago
Mapped: The World’s Happiest Countries in 2023
Where do the happiest people on earth live? This map is a snapshot of the world’s most (and least) happy countries in 2023.
-
Money6 days ago
The Richest People in the World in 2023
The world’s five richest people are worth a combined $729 billion. From luxury moguls to Asia’s rising titans, we show the richest in 2023.
-
Precious Metals7 days ago
Charted: 30 Years of Central Bank Gold Demand
Globally, central banks bought a record 1,136 tonnes of gold in 2022. How has central bank gold demand changed over the last three decades?
-
Maps1 week ago
Mapped: Minimum Wage Around the World
This infographic shows the net minimum wage across 67 countries, as of January 2023. A breakdown by U.S. state is also included.
-
Datastream1 week ago
Will Connected Cars Break the Internet?
By 2025, connected cars could produce 10 exabytes (exabyte = 1B gigabytes) of data per month, a thousand-fold increase over current volumes.