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UN Suggests Expanded Agriculture Possible Without Deforestation

Agriculture is the biggest driver of deforestation globally fueled by a growing demand for food, yet it is possible to feed the world without cutting forests, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

Most forest loss occurs in the world's tropical regions, which lost 7 million hectares of forest a year between 2000 and 2010, while gaining 6 million hectares per year in agricultural land, FAO said in a report.

Some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have managed to change this pattern by improving land rights, boosting agricultural production and protecting forests, FAO said.

"There has always been the thinking that in order to produce more food to feed the growing population you need to clear more land for agriculture," said Eva Muller, director of the Forestry Policy and Resources Division at FAO.

Angela Marie

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