New Delhi, March 20 -- Despite commitments from 140 governments, forest destruction continues at an alarming rate. In 2023 alone, 6.37 million hectares of forests were lost, an area the size of nine million soccer fields.

Much of this destruction was caused by a global demand for palm oil, soy, beef and timber, driving deforestation in the Amazon, southeast Asia and Africa.

A new report warned that governments must take immediate steps to protect forests if they want to meet their 2030 goal of halting deforestation.

The 2030 Global Forest Vision: Priority Actions for Governments in 2025 was released on March 19, 2025 by the Forest Declaration Assessment ahead of World Forest Day. It was supported by the United Nations Development Progr...