Causes Of Rainforestation

Rainforests used to cover “...14% of the Earth but now cover a meer 6%” (Barnes). Our “Lungs of the Earth” are shredded and whittled down every day in production for agricultural industries, plantation, cattle ranches, city expansions, and the list goes on. This destruction is threatening indigenous tribes, hundreds of thousands of species each day, and even in fact the world we are living in. Rainforests did provide 20% of the supply of oxygen we take in every day, but of course that number has decreased significantly. The deforestation leads back to major causes of this controversy, people who are positively benefiting from the depletion itself. Many might wonder who is better impacted positively from the destruction, steering to why mass

Some believe the cause of the rainforest depletion problem is driven by consumer based businesses that boom from the profit of goods from the trees natural products. For example, rainforest lumber is categorized as exotic wood that is valued and sold for high prices. Tropical hardwoods such as “teak [are] regarded...for [their] rapid production of large volumes of timber, fuelwood,…and desirable quality” (Maung Wint). This specific lumber is a flamboyant and foreign wood that is abundant in most rainforests. They “...are valued for [their] strength, durability, texture and beauty”, being beneficial to the hardwood companies and rainforest loggers (Maung Wint). In order to fulfill their demand, “exotic tree species are being established in Nigeria” (Maung Wint). Furthermore, many everyday items are made from some type of product produced from the tree itself. Palm oil is a product produced and generated from rainforests, “...found in approximately 40-50% of household products” (230

I believe that economies and agriculture are benefiting the most from rainforest deforestation. Agriculture will not stop producing as long as they are making money and they will keep expanding without a care what they are destroying. Sales from goods with a high demand are consistently providing a positive income for the industries which contribute to the newfound and everlasting wealth. With the demand for goods and the profit that follows, the agricultural industry expansion increases. To illustrate, “cattle ranching [is] responsible for about 80% of all deforestation’ in the Amazon region” (Greenpeace). This industry is promoting the agriculture expansion and on average one hectare of Amazon rainforest has been lost to cattle ranchers every 18 seconds” (Greenpeace). This rapid destruction is slaughtering the rainforest by itself at an outstanding rate. Further, “rising food prices have been bad news for rainforests as farmers…” increase their worth of cash crops (Hays). Farmers “...have more incentive than ever to chop down forests and plant cash crops, putting…” an increase on the amount of land depletion for their agricultural use (Hays). Seeing that money is being produced rapidly, there is a very small chance that the expansions will be decreased, mean while an [estimated]...4.5 million acres in