WHAT IS DEFORESTATION

Deforestation refers to the destruction or sharp reduction of forests and forests felt around the planet. When it comes to global soil consumption, deforestation is the main problem to face.

In some years we have come, in the world, to eliminate an average of 30 million hectares of forest, equal to a football field every second.

The current forest area of ​​the planet is equal to 4 billion hectares. But the progression of deforestation is frightening. Every year 4.7 hectares of forest are lost in the world. In Africa alone, 3.9 million hectares have been lost in ten years. And every year, an area equivalent to half of Europe becomes less productive and resilient.

Main causes of deforestation:

• The need to create new lands to be used for crops and sheep farming. In addition, there is land used for mining purposes or purchased by large speculators for monocultures.

• Wood as fuel, one third of the world's population needs wood to heat their homes.

• The demand for precious wood increases the felling of trees in equatorial and tropical forests.

• For urban reasons, aimed at the construction of roads, buildings, masonry works, new city districts or industrial activities outside the city centres.

• Other times it can take place to improve the health of the soil, as in the case of deforestation due to old, diseased plants burned due to carelessness in the woods.

• Fires caused by increasing drought and high winds resulting in hotter and longer fire seasons. At the same time, climate change is exacerbated by wildfires.

In Africa, Asia and South America above all, small farmers take over or occupy land covered by forests and strategically start fires to then cultivate the land fertilized by the ashes. Intensively exploited, the land is unable to remain productive for long so it is then abandoned and new patches of forest are attacked.