The world has encountered various climate issues over recent decades
The world has encountered various climate issues over recent decades. Deforestation is among the key challenges that the world is facing today because it is among the key causes of climate change. The majority of the climate challenges in the world today can substantially be linked to deforestation. Assunção, Gandour & Rocha (2015) argue that biomass decay and deforestation are responsible for around 17% of the greenhouse gas emissions globally. According to Pimm, S. (2020), deforestation refers to forest thinning and clearance by human beings. Deforestation can also be defined as the loss of forest cover worldwide due to activities like mining, agriculture, and urbanization. Khokhar & Tabary (2016) estimate that the world has lost a forest area equal to 1.3 million Km2. At the beginning of the 20th century, the global forest cover was around 50 million square kilometers, approximately one-third of the world’s land. Still, it has significantly shrunk to below 40 million square kilometers. This essay describes deforestation by outlining its causes and effects and evaluates it by examining its interactions with the business.
The first cause of deforestation is increased agricultural activities. Agriculture is arguably one of the significant causes of deforestation in most parts of the world today. The need for more land for agricultural production has led to the clearance of forest cover. An increase in population across the world has subsequently enhanced demand for agricultural products. Therefore, the increase in demand has led to the need to increase agricultural production through the expansion of land used for agricultural purposes. Austin et al. (2017), in his analysis of the shifting oil palm patterns in Indonesia, claims that oil palm production has continuously been scrutinized in the past decade. The production has been under scrutiny because of the fears that rapid plantation expansion’s environmental and social costs outweighed its economic significance. Austin et al. (2019) state that “”Across the tropics agriculture is recognized as the predominant direct driver of deforestation, responsible for more than 70% of forest loss.”” The article also points out that the commercialization of agriculture and the increase in exportation of agricultural products have enhanced the significance of agriculture, especially in South America and Southeast Asia. The development has led to the expansion of land used for agricultural purposes which in turn has increased deforestation. To that extent therefore agriculture can be pointed out as one of the key causes of deforestation across the world.
The other major cause of deforestation is mining. Exploration of natural resources is also a major factor enhancing deforestation across the globe. Discovery of mineral or natural resource deposits in forests has led to the clearing of forests so that the natural resources are mined. Sonter et al. (2017) extensively links mining to the deforestation in the Amazon forest. They argue that mining poses substantial and possibly underrated risks to tropical forests internationally. In Brazil for instance mining pushes deforestation far beyond the borders of the areas under the lease arrangements. The full extent of the effects caused by this is however not known hence is ignored in the licensing process. The scenario occurs despite the strict policy interventions that have resulted in an 80% deforestation reduction in Brazil. Nunez (2019) in her analysis of the causes of deforestation notes that drilling, mining, livestock grazing and farming are responsible for more than half of the deforestation cases globally. Mining and drilling stand out because of their economic importance. They Forests are sacrificed because the economic value of the natural resources in most cases supersedes the value of the trees in these forests. The long term environmental benefits of these forests is however usually disregarded because forest cover offers long term environmental benefits. Forests are significant because they preserve natural climatic conditions. Mining is a major cause of deforestation because contrary to other causes of deforestation which can be avoided it seems to be unavoidable. Agricultural activities can be shifted to alternative areas but mining cannot be shifted because natural resource deposits cannot be shifted to other areas. Mining is therefore another major cause of deforestation in the world today.
Concerning its effects deforestation causes desertification. Massive deforestation is responsible for the increase in droughts in various parts of the world. As per Lawrence & Vandecar (2015) massive deforestation especially in the tropics can spur substantial and widespread changes in temperatures and rainfall distribution. The changes in temperatures and rainfall distribution can have detrimental impacts on agriculture both domestically and far away from the areas that are incurring deforestation. Trees are important in the ecosystem because they cause rainfall and air purification. Their clearance therefore leads to substantial dip in the levels of rainfall experienced thus occurrence of droughts which cause desertification across the world. The Union of Concerned Scientists. (2016) opines that deforestation causes desertification because forests mostly tropical ones store huge amounts of carbon. Destruction of these forests witnesses the release of these carbon into the atmosphere which subsequently accelerates global warming. Global warming in turn causes a massive dip in rainfall volumes in various parts of the world hence desertification. Desertification negatively impacts the agriculture industry because large scale agricultural production heavily relies on reliable amounts of rainfall.
Businesses are contributing to deforestation through production of and sale of deforestation driving products. There are four commodities that are highly spur deforestation in the world today. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists. (2016) wood products, palm oil, soy and beef are the four main commodities behind deforestation. The article however does not limit the commodities specifically to the four but it acknowledges that there might be other minor ones. The four contribute to an annual deforestation of around 3.83 hectares of land. Beef contributes to deforestation because companies need beef for the production of beef products. The increased industrial demand for beef has therefore led to the destruction of 2.71 million tropical forest hectares annually. Soy beans also contribute to deforestation because the increased demand of beef and dairy products has increased its demand. The increase in industrial demand for soy beans subsequently results in the clearance of forest areas for soy beans cultivation. Palm oil is another commodity that sees businesses driving up deforestation because it is used in several processed personal care products, foods and biofuels. Similarly to soy beans industries drive up deforestation through palm oil by enhancing its industrial significance as well as demand. Austin et al. (2017) notes that palm oil is a major factor driving up deforestation in Indonesia because of the industrial need of it. The fourth commodity is wood products which is probably the most iconic symbol of deforestation. Production of wood is estimated to account for deforestation of 380,000 hectares yearly. Industries promote deforestation by enhancing the value and increasing the demand of these products that directly cause deforestation. Businesses therefore contribute to deforestation by producing and selling products that enhance deforestation.
Businesses are impacted by deforestation in a number of ways. First businesses have been forced to change their operations. Deforestation and the issues linked to it have caused business to reconsider their modes of operations. The pressures that emanate from international climate actors has made it difficult for companies associated with deforestation to continue operating normally. As per Adec Solutions. (2017) retailers, manufacturers, traders, processors and producers dealing with forest risk products ought to bring into line their supply chains with sustainability. Aligning these supply chains with sustainability requires a change in organizational modes of operations. The article gives an example of a giant Indonesian pulp and paper company APP. The company has increasingly grown aware of potential climate related upsurge of plant diseases or pest. This will arguably affect the operations of the company negatively forcing it into a rethink and possibly change its operations. The second impact is that businesses have incurred increased operational costs. Deforestation has been linked to the increase in the operational costs of various companies that deal with commodities associated with deforestation. The same article for instance reports that because of precipitation changes a manufacturer Kimberly-Clark is anticipating eucalyptus timber supply disruption and upsurge in operational costs. Businesses operational costs can increase because businesses are required to conform to various policies that are aimed at preserving the environment. The increased efforts to stop or limit deforestation can also create raw material scarcity which can drive up their price hence increase in the operational costs. Deforestation therefore impacts businesses by forcing them to change their operations and increasing their operational costs.
Businesses are responding to deforestation by aligning their operations with the sustainability requirements. The increased calls for sustainability due to the increase in deforestation has led to businesses realigning their operations to suit the sustainability requirements. Adec Solutions. (2017) argues that because businesses are the key contributors of deforestation they need to be traced to gauge their sustainability compliance. Environmental conservation efforts have enhanced in the recent years due to adverse effects of deforestation and climate change. The Paris Agreement opines that since businesses emit a big percentage of greenhouse gases they are equally responsible for mitigation. Businesses are therefore aligning their operations with sustainability in response to deforestation.
In conclusion, this essay has described deforestation by outlining its causes and effects and has evaluated it by examining its interactions with business. The first cause of deforestation is increased agricultural activities. Agriculture is arguably one of the major causes of deforestation in most parts of the world today. The other major cause of deforestation is mining. Exploration of natural resources is also a major factor enhancing deforestation across the globe. Concerning its effects deforestation causes desertification. Massive deforestation is responsible for the increase in droughts in various parts of the world. Businesses are contributing to deforestation through production of and sale of deforestation driving products. Businesses are impacted by deforestation in a number of ways. First businesses have been forced to change their operations. The second impact is that businesses have incurred increased operational costs. Businesses are responding to deforestation by aligning their operations with the sustainability requirements.