3 Myths About Deforestation

MYTH 1: THE MAJORITY OF TREES ARE CUT DOWN FOR PAPER OR WOOD.

While rising demand for wood and timber poses a significant threat to the world's forests, agriculture is the primary cause of deforestation. This means that the food we eat is directly contributing to deforestation. Agriculture has been responsible for 73% of deforestation in tropical and subtropical countries.

Meat, soya beans, and palm oil are the primary causes of deforestation. Meat production is a particularly significant driver of deforestation because, in addition to clearing vast swaths of tropical forest to graze livestock, particularly beef, vast swaths of tropical forest are cleared so that the land can be used to grow soy to feed pigs and chicken for human consumption.

MYTH 2: THE ONLY FOOD THAT CAUSES DEFORESTATION IS BEEF.

You've probably seen images of forests being cut down to graze cattle for beef. While this connection is more well-known, beef is far from the only food that contributes to deforestation.

Crop expansion is responsible for nearly half of global deforestation, with soy being the primary culprit. However, the majority of this soy is not consumed directly by humans; rather, more than 80% of soy is used to feed animals, particularly poultry and pigs.

This means that when we eat chicken, we may be indirectly contributing to deforestation – forests or other valuable ecosystems may have been cleared to grow soy, feed chickens, and feed us.

MYTH 3: BECAUSE I ONLY BUY BRITISH MEAT, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.

Buying British meat is a good thing to do because it helps British farmers and reduces unnecessary air miles. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and even meat raised in the United Kingdom may be linked to the destruction of tropical forests.

Much of this is due to what we feed our food. Soybeans, a protein-rich bean grown in valuable South American habitats, are fed to chickens and pigs (including here in the UK) to provide us with meat, dairy, and egg products. Because of this chain, even British meat contributes to deforestation and habitat destruction.

80 percent of the soybeans produced globally are used to feed animals in order to meet the world's demand for meat and dairy products, including those found on supermarket shelves. As a result, the chicken and bacon in our stores may unwittingly contribute to global deforestation.