We Have the Choice: Rainforests or Animal Flesh
Why livestock farming is the biggest threat to forests worldwide
If industries were awarded for being a top cause of deforestation, it would be a boring ceremony: Animal agriculture would win first prize every single year — by such a wide margin that no other industry would even dare to step on the podium.
Even if you already knew that the livestock industry is a significant driver of environmental destruction, you likely haven’t grasped the full extent of its devastating impact.
In this article, I have compiled the most important facts on the role of animal farming in global deforestation. They show: there is still hope — if we act quickly. Fortunately, there is one simple thing we all can do!
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In this post, I will answer the following questions:
“How fast?”
I will illustrate the staggering rate at which we are losing forest cover.“How dangerous?”
I will show why deforestation is an existential threat to all life on the planet.“What’s the role of livestock?”
I will explain why animal agriculture is by far the leading cause of deforestation.“And now?”
I will offer crucial insights on what we can — and should — do about it.
The insane pace of deforestation
From 2001 to 2018, an area of forest larger than India has disappeared. In just 40 years, one billion hectares of tree cover were lost globally — an area the size of Europe.
Since the 1960s alone, more than half of the world’s tropical forests have been destroyed. Overall, less than a quarter of the Earth’s wild forests are now left. And we continue without hesitation:
In 2017, a Global Forest Watch investigation found that we are losing an area of forest the size of New York City every day — in other words: more than one soccer field of forest per second. If we continue on this path, rainforests will completely disappear within the foreseeable future.
“Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. That’s how fast we are losing the world’s forests.”
— The World Counts (2024)
As shocking as they are, the above figures may still not represent the full scale of destruction. Researchers found that commonly used monitoring methods systematically underestimate the extent of forest loss.
What is so dangerous about deforestation?
Any child knows that excessive deforestation is harmful. But many people don’t fully understand why. Here is a summary of the most important aspects:
Deforestation…
(1) … impoverishes medicine
Forests are vital for curing diseases. 25% of Western drugs are derived from rainforest plants. The Amazon rainforest — also known as “the world’s largest medicine cabinet” — provides natural treatments for diabetes, bronchitis, rheumatism, tuberculosis, and cancer. And much more is likely possible, as less than 1% of rainforest plants have so far been tested for medical properties. Deforestation destroys the sources of these invaluable ingredients -- and hinders scientific research into the medical properties of plants, thus creating severe problems for medicine.
(2) … disrupts water cycles that are essential for life
Water scarcity is a growing problem on every continent. Four billion people are already facing severe water scarcity — that’s half of the world’s population. Forests influence the availability and quality of water used for domestic, agricultural and industrial needs. According to estimates, three quarters of the world’s freshwater is supplied by forest catchments. Accordingly, deforestation can significantly disrupt regional and global water systems. Deforestation is pushing the Amazon rainforest closer to an irreversible tipping point, where it may no longer produce sufficient rainfall to sustain itself, potentially leading to catastrophic environmental consequences.
(3) … exacerbates soil erosion & desertification
More than 75% of Earth's land area is already degraded, and projections suggest that over 90% could face degradation by 2050. The United Nations has highlighted desertification as potentially the world’s most threatening ecosystem change, affecting approximately 2 billion people who live in vulnerable drylands — and, ultimately, us all. Deforestation exacerbates soil erosion. Without the roots of trees to anchor the soil, it is carried away by wind and rain including the nutrients contained in the soil. These natural resources can’t be restored within our lifetime. Poor soil quality results in weak harvests, necessitating the expansion of farmland to compensate, which in turn leads to increased deforestation — thus creating a vicious cycle.
(4) … heavily contributes to global warming
Deforestation is a significant driver of global warming, contributing around 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions — about the same as total emissions from the United States, the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The Amazon, a vital carbon sink, must be conserved to prevent catastrophic warming, as deforestation both releases carbon dioxide and reduces the planet’s capacity to absorb it. 50% of a tree's dry biomass is comprised of carbon.
(5) … annihilates indigenous communities
Deforestation poses a severe threat to indigenous populations, erasing centuries-old cultures and traditions. Approximately 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicines, food, and shelter, with many of them living in extreme poverty. Supporting indigenous populations requires protecting forests from agricultural encroachment.
(6) … raises the risk of infectious diseases & pandemics
Deforestation impacts pandemic risk because it displaces wildlife species, putting them in closer proximity with each other and to humans. In the Brazil, for instance, a study found that for every 1% of forest loss, there is a 23% increase in malaria cases. Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are called “zoonotic diseases”. They have been responsible for some of the most devastating pandemics in history, including the Spanish flu pandemic, the Black Death pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many more. Every year, zoonotic diseases cause 2.5 billion cases of human illness and millions of deaths worldwide.
(7) … drives habitat destruction & species extinction
Forests are home to over 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Deforestation devastates these habitats, contributing to a drastic decline in wildlife populations. Every day, we lose an estimated 137 species due to deforestation — that’s 50,000 species going extinct per year! The current rate of extinction of species is estimated at 1,000 times higher than the natural, pre-human extinction rate and is increasing. Losing biodiversity is like losing vital technology: not even the most advanced tech companies in the world could replicate the intricate brilliance of the life forms in our forests. Protecting biodiversity is crucial for human well-being and survival.
“Deforestation destroys wildlife habitat and is a key reason for populations of wildlife having plunged by half in the last 40 years, starting a sixth mass extinction.”
— Carrington et al. (2018)
The leading driver of deforestation
Animal agriculture is the single biggest cause of deforestation globally, dwarfing the destruction caused by other industries. Meat production alone drives deforestation five times more than any other sector.
Livestock farming is also by far the leading cause of rainforest destruction, responsible for 80% of deforestation throughout the Amazon. The industry has been identified as the “number one culprit of deforestation in virtually every Amazon country”.
To extend their farms and increase profits, cattle farmers often deliberately burn down rainforest. Over 1,000 environmental activists trying to oppose this senseless destruction of the Amazon have already been murdered.
JBS, the world’s largest beef producer has repeatedly been accused of buying cattle raised on illegally deforested land. In a game called “cattle laundering,” suppliers often shuffle cattle from ranch to ranch to conceal their illegal origins.
Why is livestock farming the largest source of deforestation?
Animals are an incredibly inefficient food source — not only in terms of freshwater consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, water and air pollution, and the amount of human and animal suffering created, but also in terms of land use:
Animal agriculture occupies over one third of the habitable land on Earth — that’s 80% of all agricultural land use. Despite this, animal products contribute less than a fifth of global calorie supply. In contrast, plant-based foods provide 83% of global calorie supply and 63% of global protein supply using just 16% of all agricultural land.
Cropland for animal feed
The second largest driver of global deforestation is cropland expansion for oilseeds, such as soybeans, much of which can be attributed to livestock as well: 77% of global soy production are used for animal feed, while less than 5% are used for tofu and soy milk.
The good news
We don't need animal products to be healthy. In fact, population studies have shown that we are healthier without them.
A global shift to a plant-based diet could free up 75% of the land currently used for agriculture, providing vast spaces for reforestation. According to research, a plant-based food system is the only option to reliably feed a world population of around 10 billion people in 2050 with zero deforestation.
By switching to a plant-based diet ourselves and inspiring others to follow suit, we can help accelerate this crucial transformation. Given the pace of deforestation and the urgency of the other harms caused by the livestock industry, every day counts!
As long as animal products are consumed, rapid deforestation will continue.
Are there animal products that cause less deforestation?
Yes, there are. However, switching to these won’t help.
Why? Because deforestation, rainforest destruction, and biodiversity loss are just a few out of many areas where livestock farming causes massive damage.
Animal agriculture is also the world’s biggest source of animal suffering, a major cause of world hunger and climate change, a huge driver of antibiotic resistance, a primary source of air pollution and water contamination, and the leading cause of ocean dead zones.
Certain forms of animal farming may slightly reduce harm in some areas but increase it in others. Only by switching to a plant-based will we be able to bring much-needed relief to animals, humans, climate, and the environment in a reliable manner.
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