Land use in tropical regions: Biodiversity loss due to agricultural trade three times higher than thought

A study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and ETH Zurich reveals that agricultural exports from tropical regions to countries like China, the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe are three times more detrimental to biodiversity than previously believed. Between 1995 and 2022, international trade accounted for over 90% of the biodiversity loss in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Madagascar, mainly due to land conversion for agriculture. The study highlights that while exporting agricultural products can reduce domestic biodiversity loss in importing countries, it leads to significant species loss in producing countries, especially in tropical regions where the ecological damage is far more intense. The research suggests that transparent supply chains and environmentally reflective pricing could help mitigate this impact.