Agricultural trade is accelerating biodiversity loss in tropical regions, with more than 90% of species lost due to land use for export. Researchers from TUM (Technical University of Munich) and ETH/Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) used satellite data to map trade flows and their ecological impacts, revealing that previous models underestimated the permanent loss of biodiversity. Between 1995 and 2022, more than 80% of land-use changes in regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia were caused by agricultural exports. The top importers are China (26%), the United States (16%), the Middle East (13%) and Europe (8%). Hot spots include Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Madagascar. Although importing countries benefit from reduced impacts on their own biodiversity, growing exports increase overall losses in exporting countries.
Source : www.tum.de
