Rainforests pushed to breaking point by new demands for resources, report says

Fresh demands for critical minerals, biofuels, and pulp used in fast fashion, processed food, and packaging add to existing pressures from cattle ranching, monocrops, oil, and logging. Mining has a larger environmental footprint than previously thought because of secondary impacts such as water pollution and the construction of roads, settlements, and other infrastructure. Between 10% and one-third of the world’s forests are already affected, and the share is expected to rise. Commodity trends threatening forests in the Amazon, Congo basin, and south-east Asia reduce their ability to regulate temperature, store carbon, recycle water, and support biodiversity. Cattle ranching, agriculture, and gold mining are the biggest threats and are forecast to expand, requiring reduced and replaced consumption rather than added demand.

"Fresh demands for critical minerals, biofuels and pulp used in fast fashion, processed food and packaging are compounding existing pressures from cattle ranching, monocrops, oil and logging, the analysis finds. Mining, in particular, has a far greater environmental footprint than previously thought owing to secondary impacts, such as water pollution and the construction of roads, settlements and other infrastructure development."

"Between 10% and one-third of the world's forests are already affected and this proportion is expected to increase. The authors say this highlights an urgent need to replace and reduce the use of products from forest regions, rather than simply adding new forms of consumption, as is currently the case."

"The report tracks the commodity trends that are threatening forests in the Amazon, the Congo basin and south-east Asia, and weakening their capacity to regulate temperature, store carbon, recycle water and provide a home for nature. Cattle ranching, agriculture and gold mining remain by far the biggest threats, finds the study, which was produced by the Dutch research organisation Profundo and commissioned by Rainforest Foundation Norway."

"While the extractive threats of energy, mining and e-commerce are usually examined in isolation, the authors say they need to be understood together as a compounding assault on the world's forests. It creates a pressure that the rainforests cannot withstand, said Ingrid Turgen of the Rainforest Foundation Norway. Our main message is that this compilation one on top of the other is affecting all three rainforest basins (Amazon, Congo and south-east Asia) and if governments don't do something about it then places like the Amazon face a pretty bleak scenario."

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