Deforestation in Peru

This paper uses newly available data on land cover and land use in Peru derived from satellite imagery to document the spatial patterns of deforestation and its evolution since 1985. It provides quantitative estimates of the contributions of four key drivers: agriculture, mining, illegal logging, and illegal crop production. The main findings are (1) the Peruvian Amazon accounts for most of overall forest loss in the country, and 90% in the most recent two decades (2) 80% of all net forest cover loss can be attributed to agriculture, notably mixed-used agriculture combining various activities such as livestock grazing and crop growing. Moreover, mining, illegal logging and cultivation of illicit crops has a local incidence on deforestation.