The average diet of someone living in a western country such as the UK or US is responsible for the loss of four trees per year, according to a new study.
Scientists from the Japanese Research Institute for Humanity and Nature linked maps of global deforestation to commodities imported by each country.
They found the consumption of products like coffee, palm oil, chocolate and beef was resulting in the destruction of wildlife-rich tropical forests around the world.
Lead author Nguyen Hoang said that knowing which supply chains are causing problems could be used to better plan global efforts to reduce deforestation.
![Scientists from the Japanese Research Institute for Humanity and Nature linked maps of global deforestation to commodities imported by each country](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/30/13/41123224-9418249-image-a-17_1617105680383.jpg)
Scientists from the Japanese Research Institute for Humanity and Nature linked maps of global deforestation to commodities imported by each country
![The average diet of someone living in a western country such as the UK or US is responsible for the loss of four trees per year, according to a new study](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/30/11/41119788-0-image-a-8_1617100001216.jpg)
The average diet of someone living in a western country such as the UK or US is responsible for the loss of four trees per year, according to a new study
Previous research examined links between global supply chains and deforestation, but most studies were conducted at a regional level or only focused on specific commodities.
The Japanese team of Keiichiro Kanemoto and Nguyen Hoang combined previously published information on forest loss and its drivers, with a global database of domestic and international trade relationships.
This was between 15,000 industry sectors from 2001 to 2015.
Using this data, they quantified each country’s deforestation footprint domestically and internationally based on the population’s consumption.
The authors found that a number of countries have increased forest sizes domestically, but their deforestation footprint – primarily in tropical forests – has increased due to importing goods.
They show that consumption in G7 countries – USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan – accounts for an average loss of 3.9 trees per person per year.
Over 90% of the UK deforestation footprint is in other countries, with half of this tree loss coming from tropical forests, study authors said.
Examining deforestation patterns for specific commodities, the authors found different impacts from different products.
Cocoa consumption in Germany poses a very high risk to forests in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and deforestation in coastal Tanzania is linked to Japanese demand for agricultural products, they discovered.
The authors also demonstrate how deforestation drivers may differ within countries.
Deforestation in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is mainly driven by coffee consumption in US, Germany and Italy, whereas North Vietnam’s deforestation is largely linked to timber exports to China, South Korea and Japan.
The US had a particularly large footprint when it came to global deforestation due to the high number of imported commodities.
![Researchers found that in certain countries the bulk of deforestation linked to consumption was happening in other countries, including for the UK, Germany and Japan](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/30/13/41123278-9418249-image-a-21_1617105730874.jpg)
Researchers found that in certain countries the bulk of deforestation linked to consumption was happening in other countries, including for the UK, Germany and Japan
![They found the consumption of products like coffee, palm oil, chocolate and beef was resulting in the destruction of wildlife-rich tropical forests around the world](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/30/11/41119810-0-image-a-9_1617101459620.jpg)
They found the consumption of products like coffee, palm oil, chocolate and beef was resulting in the destruction of wildlife-rich tropical forests around the world
This includes fruits and nuts from Guatemala, rubber from Liberia and timber coming from Cambodia.
The authors conclude that understanding the specific links between global trade and deforestation is necessary to create better regulations.
Having access to this information can also lead to science-based interventions to protect forests from disappearing.
‘Our results emphasise the need to reform zero-deforestation policies through strong transnational efforts and by improving supply chain transparency, public–private engagement and financial support for the tropics,’ they said.
The findings are published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.