3.9 trees being cut every year for every person

If we talk about the food habits of rich countries, then on average 3.9 trees are being cut every year for every person of G7 countries. The information was revealed in research published in the international journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Threat to wildlife and biodiversity

The report blamed the consumption of products like coffee, chocolate, palm oil and meat for this. Significantly, the Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental organization made up of the world's largest developed economies which includes France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, the United Kingdom and Canada.

If we talk about forests, they not only give us the necessary resources but also control air pollution and increasing emissions. Their destruction is not only increasing the impact of climate change but is also becoming a threat to wildlife and biodiversity.

It is the first study of its kind that combines high-resolution maps of the goods being imported by each country in the world and the destruction of forests associated with it. Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the consumption of these items and the destruction of forests.

Deforestation has increased

According to the study, while the G7 countries and many emerging economies such as India and China have seen a decrease in deforestation between 2001 and 2015, deforestation has increased abroad due to their imports and increasing consumption.

Researchers have considered all types of forests in this research, including all from boreal forests of northern latitudes to carbon-rich mangroves and rain forests.

Researchers have investigated the trade and effects of agricultural and forestry related commodities, including meat, wood, coffee, soybeans and cocoa.

Biodiversity suffered

According to the analysis, the impact and threat of international trade has increased especially on tropical rainforests which alone store about a quarter of the total carbon on the land.

According to research, biodiversity has also suffered the most damage in the forests which have suffered the most with international trade. These include the forests of the Amazon, South-East Asia, Madagascar and Liberia.

The harvesting of forests has increased six times due to India and China.

Talking about India and China, there has been a considerable increase since 2000. According to the data, between 2001 and 2014 there has been a six-fold increase in forest destruction associated with the import of goods in these two countries.

According to the research, however, if per capita terms, forests are being destroyed more by the G7 countries. Due to which an average of 4 trees are being cut per person.

At the same time, in 2015, 5 trees per person were harvested due to increasing consumption in the US. Whereas in the UK, due to increasing consumption, on an average, two trees are being cut per person.

Between 2001 and 2015, around 99 per cent of the forests were harvested overseas to meet the UK's needs. Although India and China see this loss is quite low, but it is growing very fast.

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