Jungle Book (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

Tarzan (Source: Pinterest)

If you’ve seen Disney’s Tarzan or The Jungle Book, then you can imagine a dense tropical rainforest. Haiti, an island nation often portrayed as destitute and barren, was once covered in forests too. When Europeans colonized Haiti, they robbed the country of its trees for agricultural gain. Deforestation has devastated Haiti. Deeply tied to agriculture, deforestation is prevalent around the world. According to the United Nations, forests cover 31 percent of Earth’s land area and are home to more than 80 percent of land animals. Yet, since 2015, deforestation has been rampant — 10 million hectares of forests are lost each year. For you sports fans, that is about 125 million football fields annually.

Deforestation has been trending in the news most recently when #PrayforAmazon populated social media. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro perpetuates decades old government support of clearing the rainforest. Incentivized by his policies, farmers have been burning neighboring sections of the Amazon rainforest to increase the size and yield of their agricultural plots. Why should you care? Well for one, burning trees release all of their stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Amazon Rainforest burning in Brazil (Source: BBC)

Agriculture-based deforestation drives most forest loss each year. Meanwhile, 90% of people living in extreme poverty depend on forests for much of their livelihoods — pollinators, freshwater, food, shelter, and climate regulation are beneficial products of forests. Trees also play a key role in oxygen production, atmospheric pollution removal, and soil accumulation and retention.

Agriculture also depends on forest health. Successful farming is tied to  availability of soil and water. With shifting global temperatures, changes in climate patterns predict increased rainfall in various regions globally. Healthy forests prevent soil erosion, which occurs when soil is loose and washes away with the rain. Therefore without trees, these regions may suffer from erosion, like Haiti, and experience agricultural hardships from lack of soil nutrients, soil abundance, and water retention. 

Thus, trees indirectly help communities improve greater agricultural yields. Once people have consistent access to food and clean water, they can focus on other aspects of their lives, leading to educational advancements, economic prosperity, and better health.

According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, food security can lead to economic growth, poverty reduction, and improved health. In India for example, when women have access to agricultural land rights, they produce more food over which they have autonomy. Studies show that with more income from their produce, mothers are more likely to invest in nourishing and educating their children, thus investing in their futures.

Agroforestry: creating beneficial collaboration between reforestation planting and agricultural production (Source: Plant with Purpose)

Eden Project – Haiti (Source: YouTube)

The Eden Project is a collaboration between foreign donors and Haitian people based on independence to reforest the land sustainably. Similarly, the Cooperative Development Project (CODEP), another reforestation organization in Haiti, implements agroforestation.

Looking into historical causes and more recent approaches and solutions of forested islands including Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Australia, I will explore relationships between agriculture, deforestation and reforestation.