One of the main reasons deforestation occurs is to clear the land for agribusiness. The differences between agribusiness and traditional farming are outlined in the table below.
Agribusiness
Businesses hire a farmer to work the land. This farmer is under contract.
Profits are returned to the businesses.
Increased demand for food around the world has, in turn, increased the rate at which our forests are being cut down and replaced with farms. This is being done both legally and illegally.
This photo shows the results of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. The trees have been cleared to make way for a soy plantation.
Go to YouTube and look up ‘Illegal Logging: The Problem’ (4:08). Having watched the video, answer these questions:
1. Name two ways in which illegal logging damages the environment. 2. Name four regions where illegal logging is a considerable problem. 3. How have developed countries contributed to illegal logging in these regions?
Sustainable Exploitation of Forestry in Ireland
Coillte (the Irish word for forest or woods) is an Irish organisation that owns and manages 7% of the land in Ireland. That is roughly 44,000 hectares, or 440 km² of land. It was set up in 1989 and it has helped increase the amount of forests covering Ireland from 1.5% to 11%.
Middle-aged forest
Old forest
Traditional farming
A group of businesses purchase land for farming. A farmer owns or rents his/her own land. The farmer is his/her own boss. Profits are kept by the farmer.
