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What does deforestation mean?
Deforestation means the permanent removal of forest cover to convert the land to another use, such as cropland, cattle pasture, mines, roads or cities. It is different from forest degradation, where the forest is left standing but loses density, biodiversity or its capacity to store carbon. Almost all deforestation today is caused by human activity and is concentrated in the tropics.
According to the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 (FRA 2025), the world has about 4,140 million hectares of forest, covering 31% of the land surface. Deforestation slowed to an average of 10.9 million hectares per year over 2015-2025, down from 13.6 million per year in 2000-2015. That is good news, but the rate is still far too high: every year the world loses an area of forest larger than Iceland — or roughly three times the size of Kerala.
Causes of deforestation
Natural events such as diseases, parasites, hurricanes and floods can destroy woodland, but the overwhelming majority of deforestation is driven by human activity — the FAO estimates that agricultural expansion alone is behind almost 90% of it. Five drivers dominate.
Cattle ranching: the biggest driver in the tropics
The expansion of pasture for beef cattle is the single largest direct cause of tropical deforestation, above all in Latin America. In the Amazon, extensive ranching accounts for most of the forest that is cut and burned: rainforest is cleared to open grazing land for cattle destined for beef and leather production.
Agriculture: soy and palm oil
Soy — grown largely to feed livestock around the world — and oil palm are the two crops most closely associated with deforestation. Palm oil is the most produced vegetable oil on the planet and is found in countless foods, cosmetics, cleaning products and biofuels; its plantations have replaced vast areas of rainforest in Southeast Asia. More sustainable practices such as organic farming and responsible sourcing can ease this pressure on forests.
Logging
Logging, both legal and illegal, removes and degrades forest worldwide to supply timber, paper and charcoal. Selective logging also opens access roads into previously intact areas, paving the way for farmers and ranchers and accelerating the deforestation that follows.
Mining and infrastructure
Mining (gold, iron ore, bauxite), oil extraction and the construction of roads, dams and cities destroy forest directly and fragment the ecosystems around them. Illegal gold mining is especially destructive in the Amazon, where it also poisons rivers with mercury.
Wildfires
Fires are becoming a decisive factor. According to Global Forest Watch (WRI), in 2024 — for the first time on record — fire, not agriculture, was the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss, responsible for almost half of the total. In the tropics most fires are started by people to clear land and then burn out of control, fanned by droughts made worse by global warming.
Effects of deforestation
Forests play a dual role for the planet: they are both the "lungs of the Earth" and its greatest reserves of biodiversity. Destroying them sets off chain reactions that affect the climate, wildlife, water and people.
CO₂ emissions and climate change
Trees are carbon sinks: they absorb CO₂ throughout their lives and lock it away. When they are felled or burned, that carbon returns to the atmosphere. The tropical primary forest lost in 2024 alone released 3.1 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases, according to the WRI — more than the annual emissions of India. Deforestation is therefore a major contributor to the greenhouse effect.
Biodiversity loss
Forests shelter around 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Because they are home to millions of species, their destruction wipes out flora and fauna and pushes many species towards extinction. Every hectare of rainforest lost erases a unique, irreplaceable ecosystem.
A disrupted water cycle
Forests regulate the water cycle: they soak up rainfall, release it through evapotranspiration and seed the clouds that carry rain inland. The Amazon works as a giant "moisture pump" that waters much of South America. Clearing it reduces rainfall, deepens droughts and threatens the farming and water supply of entire regions.
Impact on indigenous peoples
Millions of indigenous peoples and local communities depend directly on the forest for food, culture and livelihoods. Deforestation destroys their territories, often through illegal invasions. Paradoxically, titled indigenous lands are among the best-preserved areas on Earth: securing their rights is one of the most effective ways to slow deforestation.
Soil degradation and desertification
Tree roots anchor the soil and enrich it with organic matter. Without cover, the land is exposed to erosion by wind and rain, loses fertility and can end up barren. Deforestation is thus one of the leading causes of desertification.
Deforestation around the world: data by region
Deforestation is a global phenomenon, but it is concentrated in the three great tropical forests: the Amazon, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia. In 2024 the world lost a record 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest, almost double the 2023 figure; in 2025 the loss fell by 36% to 4.3 million hectares, though that is still 46% higher than a decade earlier, according to Global Forest Watch.
Source : INPE (PRODES), 2025
The Amazon (Brazil)
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical forest on the planet and an unmatched reserve of biodiversity and carbon. Cattle ranching is its main driver of deforestation, followed by soy and mining. After the peaks of 2021-2022, Brazil has reversed the trend: according to INPE (PRODES monitoring system), Amazon deforestation fell by 11% in 2025 to 5,796 km² — the third-lowest figure since records began in 1988 and a cumulative drop of about 50% since 2022.
The Congo Basin (Central Africa)
The Congo Basin is the second-largest tropical forest in the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded a record loss of 590,000 hectares of primary forest in 2024, the third-largest of any country. The main causes are subsistence farming, charcoal production for cooking fuel and the fires associated with both.
Southeast Asia (Indonesia)
Indonesia has historically been one of the biggest deforestation hotspots because of the expansion of oil palm and pulpwood plantations. Moratorium policies and satellite monitoring have, however, cut its rate dramatically: in 2024 the country lost about 261,000 hectares of primary forest, far below the peaks of the mid-2010s.
What about the UK?
While it is easy to think only of rainforest deforestation, forests closer to home are under pressure too. According to the Woodland Trust, a charity dedicated to the planting, restoration and protection of woodland in the UK, hundreds of woods across the nation are under threat, mainly from development. UK forests absorb carbon dioxide, create habitats for wildlife and pollinating insects, protect against floods and soil erosion, and offer shade and shelter for livestock.
How to stop deforestation
Stopping deforestation requires action on three fronts: restoring degraded forests, regulating supply chains and changing the way we consume. The recent drops in Brazil and Indonesia show that the right policies, consistently enforced, deliver measurable results.
Reforestation vs forest restoration
Reforestation replants trees on deforested land, but on its own it is not enough: it often means single-species plantations that never recreate the biodiversity of the original forest. Ecological restoration goes further, rebuilding the whole ecosystem with native species. Two complementary approaches stand out:
- agroforestry, which integrates trees into farmland, protects the soil and restores degraded ecosystems without giving up agricultural production;
- forest carbon projects, which fund the conservation and restoration of forests and support the local communities that protect them — you can back one through a carbon offsetting project.
Legislation: the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
The European Union adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (EUDR), which bans the sale in the EU of commodities such as soy, palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee, rubber and timber if they come from land deforested after 2020. Its application has been postponed several times: Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 now sets entry into application on 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized companies and in June 2027 for micro and small enterprises.
Responsible consumption and offsetting
Everyone can help reduce the pressure on forests through more responsible consumption: eating less meat, avoiding products made with unsustainable palm oil, choosing certified wood and paper (FSC, PEFC) and shrinking your overall carbon footprint. In the UK, organisations such as the Woodland Trust, the National Forest and Trees for Cities help conserve, protect and maintain woodland. As a complement, you can offset your carbon footprint by supporting forest conservation and restoration projects.
To grasp the scale of the phenomenon in real time, the Global Forest Watch platform lets you track deforestation across the world through satellite imagery.
Discover more practical guides on protecting the environment and renewable energy.