On the menu: Five common foods that drive deforestation

Overview

• There’s a misconception that the lumber and paper industries are the reason why so many forests are being cut down. The real reason why forests are disappearing forever is because the food we eat requires a lot of land and water to grow.

• Soy, one of the biggest drivers of deforestation, is mainly used as animal feed. Only a very small portion of the soy grown around the world actually ends up on our plates.

• Staple foods like maize, rice and cassava are considered the hidden drivers of deforestation. They tend to go unnoticed because they’re often grown at home and eaten locally, making their connection to deforestation harder to track.

Deforestation is what happens when huge areas of forest are cleared away for good. While people have cut down trees for thousands of years to build cities and find fuel, modern deforestation is different because the trees usually don’t have a chance to grow back. Instead, the land is permanently changed to make room for houses, factories, AI data centres and—most often—industrial farming.

When we lose these forests, we lose more than just trees. Deforestation destroys the homes of countless animals, disrupts the water cycle and makes climate change worse by releasing stored carbon into the air.

While it might seem like wood or paper are the main reasons for the destruction of our forests, the biggest driver is actually the food we eat. Our growing appetite for meat, fruits and vegetables isn’t just driving deforestation—it is also the main reason the world is now in an era of water bankruptcy.

Here are the top five foods that are currently driving global deforestation.

1. Beef

Beef is by far the biggest culprit. Huge areas of tropical forest are cut down every single year just to create pastures for cattle to roam. Here’s how cattle ranching accelerates the loss of our vital forests:

• Beef production causes about 41 per cent of tropical deforestation. That is roughly 2.1 million hectares of forest lost annually, or about half the size of the Netherlands.

• In Brazil, one of the world’s leading suppliers of animal feed and beef, cattle ranching is responsible for 72 per cent of the country's deforestation. Other parts of Latin America, like Argentina and Paraguay, account for 11 per cent of the total.

• It takes over 2,500 gallons of water and 12 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of beef. That’s a huge drain on our natural resources.

Unlike forests that can grow back after a fire, land cleared for cattle pastures usually stays that way forever.

How do we balance our need (and desire) to eat foods we enjoy, like beef, with the impact that our choices have on the environment? Rather than drastically altering our diets, we can begin by understanding where our beef comes from, so we can make better choices to protect the world’s vulnerable forests.

2. Soy

Most people think of tofu or soy milk when they hear “soy,” but the truth is quite different. Only seven per cent of the world’s soy is eaten directly by humans.

• In reality, about 77 per cent of global soy is actually fed to livestock like chickens, pigs and cows. The rest is used for biofuels, industry or vegetable oils.

• In South America, soy is often grown on land that used to be for cattle. This forces ranchers to move even deeper into the forest to make new pastures by clearing out more trees. This is why beef and soy production are almost always mentioned together as major causes of deforestation, even though cows consume the least amount of soy feed.

• The U.S. and Brazil produce nearly 70 per cent of the world’s soy. Much of this is shipped to Europe and China to feed farm animals.

Many people who switched to soy-based foods like tofu or tempeh specifically to help the planet may feel discouraged to find out that the vast majority of the world’s soy is grown for livestock feed. While it feels like a “gotcha” moment, soy-based foods have plenty of health benefits for everyone, not just those with specific dietary preferences. Therefore, eating soy directly is still far more efficient for the Earth than using it as animal feed.

The good news is that we’re seeing a shift toward more transparent and sustainable farming as more people become aware of how their food is produced. By making small, informed choices about the food we buy and consume, we can all play a part in protecting our precious forests for future generations.

• Want to learn how to practice eco-friendly gardening? Check out our five sustainable gardening tips to grow a climate-resilient haven in your backyard or balcony, where plants, wildlife and people can thrive together.

3. Palm oil

Palm oil is a vegetable oil found in everything from chocolate and cookies to shampoo and lipstick, making it a major driver of deforestation.

• Palm, along with soy, sunflower, rapeseed and sesame seeds, are categorized as “oilseeds” and drive 18 per cent of global deforestation.

• Indonesia and Malaysia produce approximately 83 per cent of the world’s palm oil. In these countries, huge areas of tropical rainforest have been replaced with palm oil plantations.
• Tropical rainforests are rich in biodiversity and are irreplaceable natural habitats. When these forests are cut down to make way for palm oil plantations, hundreds—if not thousands—of plant and animal species lose their homes.

4. Staple crops

Staple crops like maize, rice and cassava are considered the hidden drivers of deforestation because they can be grown anywhere. And because they’re also part of most people’s everyday diet, it can be hard to accept that something so ingrained in our lives can be behind the loss of many of our forests.

• Maize, rice and cassava altogether cause about 11 per cent of all agriculture-driven deforestation.
• Beef and palm oil are usually shipped to other countries. However, staple crops are grown and eaten right at home. This creates a “scattered” footprint that makes it much harder to track and stop the resulting forest loss.
• As the world’s population grows, the pressure to clear more land for these essential foods will only increase.
• Experts say we need to include staple crops in our forest protection laws and conservation programs. This will help protect nature and ensure we can still grow enough food years from now.

5. Chocolate (Cocoa)

The world’s demand for chocolate has grown over the years—and so has the toll it’s taken on Africa’s forests. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocoa is grown in just four countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Chocolate starts with the cacao tree, which grows in tropical climates near the equator. These trees produce large, colourful fruits called pods that contain about 20 to 60 seeds, known as cacao beans, which are then processed to create this beloved treat.

Cacao farmers often use illegal and unethical land-clearing and growing methods to meet growing demand for this decadent dessert:

• Illegal farming: In Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest grower and exporter of cacao beans, 40 per cent of cocoa comes from illegal farms located inside protected forest areas.
• Slash and burn: Many farmers clear-cut a section of forest and burn the remains to create nutrient-rich ash for soil. However, the soil wears out in just a year or two, forcing them to move on and burn more forest.
• Monocropping: Planting only cocoa trees in a field makes the soil unhealthy and the trees more likely to get sick, which leads to heavy use of chemicals and pesticides.

The Climate Smart and Inclusive Cocoa in Usino (CACAU) Project in Papua New Guinea is just one of the ways that World Vision is helping farmers change the way they grow their cacao trees.

This project helps farmers like Adrian Masawa switch to “climate-smart” farming. Instead of clearing new forests, farmers are given stronger seedlings and trained to keep their current soil healthy.

They also use eco-friendly solar dryers for the cacao beans instead of burning wood. This project proves that families can earn a good living while protecting the rainforest for future generations.

Read the full story here.

How World Vision is helping

We recognize that poverty is the root cause of forest loss, so we partner with affected communities to develop programs that focus on caring for their environment.

• Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR): This low-cost technique teaches farmers to prune and protect native tree stumps already in their fields. Pioneered by World Vision’s own Tony Rinaudo, FMNR has restored over 18 million hectares globally, improving soil fertility without clearing new forest.
• Income diversification: In Eswatini, we partnered with initiatives to help farmers build sustainable livelihoods, such as beekeeping and honey production. Bees require forest shade to thrive, incentivizing farmers to protect native trees.
• Savings groups: By providing small-scale capital, World Vision helps farming families invest in their existing land—buying better seeds or organic fertilizers—so they don’t have to clear forest for “fresh” soil just to survive.
• Youth empowerment: Programs like Eco-IMPACT+ educate children on environmental stewardship, ensuring the next generation of farmers has the skills to manage their lands sustainably.

By providing these tools, World Vision helps families move from just trying to survive to building a future where they can thrive alongside the forest.

Help families gain food security

You can be part of this change by helping a farmer start their own sustainable plot.

When you give an agricultural gift through World Vision Canada, you aren’t just giving a donation—you’re empowering families to grow their own food using sustainable methods. Each agricultural gift comes with tools and training to help families and communities gain a sustainable source of food and income for years to come.

• Fruit trees : Give a family fruit trees that provide healthy food to eat and a crop they can sell at the market.
• Agricultural packs : Emergency packs of seeds and tools ready to deploy when a disaster strikes. Thanks to donations from the World Food Programme, this gift multiplies 4X in value.
• Crop seeds : A variety of fruit and vegetable seeds that will transform the landscape and a family’s future.
• Community gardens : Help establish greenhouses and communal gardens for families to grow food, gather and learn about farming and nutrition.

A gift you give today can nourish children and their families for a lifetime.