Organised crime is a hidden yet major contributor to deforestation

When someone mentions deforestation, you probably think of beef production or the wood industry as being most culpable. A key driver that often goes under the radar, however, is organised crime like drug trafficking and illegal logging.

Almost a year on from COP26, there’s definitely work to be done to regenerate 30% of natural land by 2030.

Every 12 months, the world loses an estimated 25 million acres of forest to deforestation. This damage roughly matches the size of the state of Indiana and almost all of it occurs within the tropics.

With hopes of stopping the rot, delegates at the conference committed to halting deforestation within the next eight (now seven) years. The official legislation, called the ‘Declaration on Forests and Land Use,’ outlined a $19bn USD strategy focused on sourcing consumer goods like beef, palm oil, wood pulp, and paper products in a more sustainable way.

Together, these commodities remain responsible for the loss of nearly 12 million acres annually. There is, however, a fifth key driver of deforestation that receives less publicity and attention from global…