A farmer clearing land for maize in one country, a rice field expanding in another. These local decisions, repeated millions of times, are now linked to a global pattern of forest loss.
New research from Chalmers University of Technology, a Swedish research institution, finds that staple foods consumed daily are driving more deforestation than many export crops long associated with environmental damage.
The study, published March 23, combines satellite land use data with agricultural statistics to map how 184 commodities have contributed to forest loss across 179 countries.
It offers what researchers describe as the most detailed global picture yet of how food production shapes deforestation.
Staple crops deforestation impact compared to cocoa coffee rubber
The analysis shows that maize, rice and cassava together account for about 11 percent of agriculture driven deforestation worldwide.
By comparison, cocoa, coffee and rubber combined account for less than 5 percent.
This contrasts with the dominant narrative that focuses heavily on export oriented commodities such as palm oil and soybeans.
Lead author Chandrakant Singh said earlier research has often centered on a narrow set of crops and regions.
“Deforestation’s links to food production have long been studied, but have often focused on some products, such as beef, soybeans and palm oil, which are well known in the context of deforestation,” Singh said in a statement released by Chalmers University of Technology.
The study confirms that beef production remains the single largest driver, responsible for about 40 percent of global deforestation linked to agriculture. Palm oil accounts for 9 percent, while soybeans contribute around 5 percent.
Staple crops differ in one key way. Their impact is spread across many regions rather than concentrated in a few hotspots.
Unlike palm oil in Southeast Asia or soybeans in South America, maize, rice and cassava are grown widely for domestic consumption, making their environmental footprint more diffuse and harder to track.
Agriculture driven deforestation global data and carbon emissions findings
The researchers estimate that 122 million hectares of forest were lost due to agriculture driven deforestation between 2001 and 2022. More than 80 percent of that loss occurred in tropical regions.
The study also examined carbon dioxide emissions linked to deforestation, often caused when forests are burned to clear land for farming or grazing.
Total emissions over the period were estimated at around 41 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, averaging close to 2 billion tonnes annually.
That figure is lower than previous global estimates, which had placed annual emissions at more than twice that level. Singh said the difference reflects a more detailed method of linking specific commodities to land use changes.
Even at the lower estimate, agriculture driven deforestation accounts for about 5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the study.
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Domestic food production role in deforestation policy response
Co author Martin Persson said the findings highlight the need to look beyond international trade when addressing deforestation.
“The debate on deforestation has circulated a lot around how people in rich countries like ours cause deforestation with our commodities imports, and this is absolutely important to get to grips with,” Persson said.
“But we mustn’t forget that a large proportion of deforestation is driven by agricultural production for domestic markets.”
The study suggests that policies focused only on supply chains linked to exports may overlook a significant share of forest loss driven by local food systems.
Researchers say their Deforestation Driver and Carbon Emissions model, known as DeDuCE, could help governments, companies and civil society identify where interventions are most needed.
The model links specific commodities to deforestation patterns, offering a tool for more targeted decision making.
Singh said future work will expand the model to include non food sectors such as mining and energy, which also contribute to forest loss.
For now, the study reframes a familiar issue. The drivers of deforestation are not only tied to global trade or distant markets.
They are also rooted in everyday food systems.
More about global deforestation
The figures relate to agriculture-driven deforestation between 2001 and 2022
Commodities driving global deforestation
Beef (40 per cent)
Palm oil (9 per cent)
Soy beans (5 per cent)
Maize (4 per cent)
Rice (4 per cent)
Cassava (3 per cent)
Cocoa (2 per cent)
Coffee (1 per cent)
Rubber (1 per cent)
Countries responsible for the biggest shares of global deforestation
Brazil (32 per cent)
Indonesia (9 per cent)
China (6 per cent)
Democratic Republic of Congo (6 per cent)
USA (5 per cent)
Ivory Coast (3 per cent)
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