Learn1 of 3
Why Rainforests Disappear
About 80,000 acres of rainforest are destroyed every day — about 60 football fields every minute.
Agriculture is the main driver. Farmers clear forest for crops (soybeans, palm oil) and cattle. Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of Amazon deforestation.
Logging removes valuable hardwoods. Roads built for loggers open the forest to settlers who clear more land.
Mining for gold, iron, and copper requires clearing forest and often pollutes rivers.
**Important:** At current rates, most tropical rainforests could be destroyed within 100 years.