International Day of Forests
March 21st is the International Day of Forests. It’s a good time to consider the critical importance of the rich, vibrant, and life-sustaining biodiversity that can be found in forests across the globe.
The International Day of Forests was established in 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to the devastating effects of deforestation and to inspire communities across the world to participate in efforts of all scales to preserve our forests.
While more nations, organizations, and individuals have taken action on deforestation in recent years, much remains to be done. Keep reading to learn about the current state of deforestation and why forests are an important part of the solution to climate change.
Deforestation Statistics
Each year, approximately 10 million hectares of forests are lost as a result of deforestation. 10 million sounds like a lot — and it is — but let us put it into perspective for you. That’s the same size as the entire country of Iceland.
Deforestation isn’t the only cause of forest loss. Damage from insects is also responsible for the annual destruction of approximately 35 million hectares of forests.
The world cannot sustain this level of mass deforestation. If we continue on our current path, we will have only 10% of our forests remaining by 2030. That’s a short seven years from where we currently are.
A great deal of deforestation is a result of global demand for food. Forests are clear-cut and replaced with fields for cattle, palm oil, cocoa, and soybean farming. While deforestation poses a serious threat to our world, so does food shortage. Furthermore, we must develop solutions that address the needs of both.
Why are forests important?
The health of forests represents a critical vital sign of the health of our planet. These varied and adaptable ecosystems are essential resources that support the food, energy, and habitat needs of people across the world. They are responsible for cleaning the air, purifying the water, and maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystems that sustain us.
The importance of forests goes beyond what we can extract from them, however. They are salient spaces that facilitate life for millions of species and provide endless opportunities for cultural enrichment.
The sustainable management of forests is crucial in the fight against the climate crisis. Without healthy, abundant forests, we risk the worst-case scenario and make it even more difficult to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Forests are instrumental in alleviating poverty as well as countless other necessary economic, social, public health, and ecological improvement objectives. When we protect forests, we protect the world and everyone in it.
Dimitra Technology and Deforestation
At Dimitra, the driving force behind our collective vision is a more sustainable future. The connection between deforestation and food insecurity is undeniable. Moreover, our technology is designed to support efforts to limit damaging impacts.
Our Deforestation Certification Module is an upgrade to the Connected Farmer and Livestock Guru platforms. It is designed to make the traditionally complex and expensive deforestation evaluation process more accessible.
We’ve worked hard to make it even more beneficial for producers and traders to combat the climate crisis by allowing them to prove their goods are unrelated to deforestation.
Dimitra’s Deforestation Certification helps farmers, traders, operators, and consumer packaged goods companies ensure every shipment is compliant and meets regulatory demands. Using an innovative combination of satellite analysis, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and mobile technology, operators can detect deforestation, prove compliance, and reduce the risk of fraud.
Dimitra is proud to be a leader in agriculture technology solutions for critical issues such as deforestation. To learn more about how our technology supports the fight against climate change, visit https://dimitra.io/.
