Forests, essential for the planet.
Description
Forests play an essential role for the planet and all that lives on it. Habitat for some, they regulate the water cycle, protect soils, store carbon and thus help combat climate change.
Despite this, forests are threatened by human activity. Since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been converted to other uses, including over 80 million hectares of primary forest. Between 2010 and 2020, 40% of deforestation is estimated to have been due to agricultural production for international trade (cattle breeding, soy and oil palm cultivation) and 33% to local subsistence farming. Since 2022, the European Union has adopted regulations to prevent the import of products derived from deforestation, such as palm oil, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry.
Sources : FAO e INEP 2020
