According to WWF: About two-thirds of global forest cover loss occurs in the tropics and subtropics, where vast deforestation hot spots and the clearing of forests are destroying the irreplaceable benefits and resources that forests provide. Forests are essential for nature, climate, and people. For example, forests mediate the emergence and spread of zoonotic infectious diseases and are our first line of defense against new infectious diseases. Nearly one in three outbreaks of new and emerging diseases is linked to land-use change, including deforestation.

The conversion of native forests, peatlands, grasslands, and other ecosystems often goes hand in hand with violations of human rights, threatening the territories, livelihoods, and lives of Indigenous peoples and local communities. Eliminating deforestation and conversion from agricultural supply chains is a critical step toward protecting intact ecosystems, good jobs, and healthy communities for the future.