New high-resolution maps show that rubber causes significant deforestation

Abstract

Understanding the impacts of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely-sensed global maps1, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a major commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than five-fold1–4. Here we harnessed earth observation satellite data and cloud computing5to produce the first high-resolution maps of rubber and associated deforestation covering all Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been significantly underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports6–8. Our direct remotely-sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is two to threefold higher than suggested by figures currently widely used for setting policy4. With over 3.76 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (2.77 [2.5-3 95% CI] million hectares since 2000), and over 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the impacts of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia are extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due diligence regulations.