Deforestation

Deforestation near Guatemala’s border with Belize.

Photo credit: Sergio Izquierdo

Tropical forests absorb more carbon than any other kind of forest. They also provide shelter, food, and livelihoods to millions of Indigenous and local people, while housing two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity. But we are losing them at an alarming pace (mostly to agriculture): In 2019, we lost a football pitch of tropical forest every six seconds. Stopping deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics is critical to the survival of humanity.

This page features information about the Rainforest Alliance's work to stop tropical deforestation and links to all our related content and resources.

Stopping deforestation in the tropics has been at the heart of the Rainforest Alliance’s mission since its founding more than 35 years ago. Working with companies, civil society organizations, and local governments—all while centering the voices of the rural communities we partner with—we promote community forestry and regenerative agriculture throughout the tropics. Our decades of experience have demonstrated that these are the most effective strategies to keep forests standing and restore biodiversity.

Quick Links

Deforestation position paper

This paper outlines our principles and strategies for stopping deforestation (and other forms of ecosystem conversion) in vulnerable tropical regions.

Forest Allies

Learn how joining our Forest Allies community of practice will help your company have a greater impact on forests.

Seven agricultural commodities linked to deforestation

World Resources Institute (WRI) estimates the extent to which seven commodities—oil palm, soy, cattle, plantation wood fiber, cocoa, coffee, and plantation rubber—are replacing forests, and maps their impacts.

Rights-Based Conservation: The path to preserving Earth’s biological and cultural diversity?

This Rights and Resources Initiative report examines the potential of community rights-based conservation to prevent biodiversity collapse.

Our Work: Deforestation

All resources for Deforestation

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Our Work to Prevent Forest Fires

Protecting forests is at the heart of the Rainforest Alliance’s mission, which is why our interventions work to prevent forest fires in precious tropical landscapes.

Media Coverage

Can a New Triple Alliance Save Rainforests from Ruin?

| Al Jazeera

Brazil, Indonesia, and DR Congo have now formed a tripartite alliance aimed at better preserving tropical rainforests amid the worsening global climate emergency.

Annual Report

2021 Annual Report: We Grow Together

Explore the Rainforest Alliance 2021 Annual Report! Inside you’ll meet the farmers, forest communities, businesses, and individuals who are working with us to create a world where people and nature... View more


Available in: English, Spanish, German, French, Indonesian, Portuguese, Japanese

Media Coverage

5 Ways to Save Rainforests and the World Every Day

| The Optimist Daily

Rainforests are among the most vibrant and iconic ecosystems Earth has to offer. They are also crucial for the survival of the planet and its life.

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