Deforestation and Agroforestry
A core concept for understanding land use, wildlife loss, climate impacts, and ethical sourcing across chocolate, coffee, palm oil, paper products, beef, and more.
Deforestation is one of the most destructive forces driving climate change, biodiversity collapse, and the loss of Indigenous lands. When forests are cleared for agriculture, mining, or cattle ranching, the impacts are immediate and far-reaching:
Massive carbon emissions are released from cut trees and disturbed soil
Loss of habitat for endangered species, including primates, big cats, birds, and pollinators
Flooding, erosion, and soil degradation
Human rights violations, including land grabs, forced displacement, and unsafe working conditions
Disrupted rainfall patterns, making droughts and extreme weather more common
For many crops, including cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and beef, deforestation is not an accident. It is built into the supply chain unless companies work actively to prevent it.
How Deforestation Shows Up in Agricultural Supply Chains
Cocoa (Chocolate)
Large areas of West Africa and parts of Latin America have lost forests to cocoa expansion. Illegal cocoa farming inside protected areas is still common in some regions.
Coffee
Coffee growers often clear forests for sun-grown coffee, which is cheaper to produce but destroys shade-based agroecosystems that support biodiversity.
Palm Oil
One of the biggest global drivers of deforestation is in Indonesia and Malaysia, where rainforests and orangutan habitats have been devastated.
Cattle and Leather
Cattle ranching is the number one cause of Amazon deforestation in Brazil.
Paper Products
Logging for toilet paper, tissues, packaging, and paper towels contributes to forest degradation, especially in Canada’s boreal forest.
Beauty and Food Ingredients
Ingredients like shea, vanilla, and certain essential oils may involve land clearing if not responsibly sourced.
Agroforestry: The Better Alternative
Agroforestry is a farming system where crops are grown under or alongside trees. It restores ecological balance and protects biodiversity while still producing food.
Benefits of Agroforestry
Stores carbon instead of emitting it
Protects wildlife habitat
Improves soil health
Supports pollinators
Reduces land-clearing pressure
Improves climate resilience for farmers
Produces higher-quality cocoa and coffee with richer flavor profiles
Shade-grown systems are essential for cocoa and coffee, where biodiversity thrives when trees are preserved.
What Better Brands Do
Responsible companies prevent deforestation by investing in traceable, transparent supply chains.
Commitment and Certification
No-deforestation policies with clear deadlines
Deforestation-free supply chain certification (e.g., Rainforest Alliance, FSC, RSPO — with caveats)
Independent audits and satellite monitoring
Sourcing Practices
Agroforestry and shade-grown cultivation
Replanting forest buffers
Working with cooperatives that protect protected areas
Paying premiums to farmers to prevent expansion into forests
Transparency
Farm-level traceability
Public supply chain maps
Reporting with third-party verification
What You Should Look For
Use this checklist across all relevant product guides.
Agroforestry or shade-grown sourcing
Deforestation-free commitments with third-party verification
Certifications like Rainforest Alliance or FSC (not perfect, but better than nothing)
Brands that publish traceability reports and farm locations
Companies paying farmers a living income, reducing pressure to clear land
What to Avoid
Products sourced from regions with well-documented illegal deforestation
Brands with no transparency or sourcing disclosures
“Sun-grown” cocoa or coffee that relies on clearing trees
Palm oil, meat, or leather with no deforestation policy
Ultra-cheap brands (because clean supply chains cost money)
Paper products made with virgin forest fiber when recycled or FSC options exist