“Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest (an area larger than Greece) and since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed.”
60-70% of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches
Remaining 30-40% results from small-scale subsistence agriculture.
“Despite the widespread press attention, large-scale farming (i.e. soybeans) currently contributes relatively little to total deforestation in the Amazon. Most soybean cultivation takes place outside the rainforest in the neighboring cerrado grassland ecosystem and in areas that have already been cleared. Logging results in forest degradation but rarely direct deforestation. However, studies have showed a close correlation between logging and future clearing for settlement and farming.”
Data: Mongabay
