High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation

Understanding the effects of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely sensed global maps, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a principal commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than fivefold. Here we harnessed Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing to produce high-resolution maps of rubber (10 m pixel size) and associated deforestation (30 m pixel size) for Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been substantially underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports. Our direct remotely sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by figures now widely used for setting policy. With more than 4 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (at least 2 million hectares since 2000) and more than 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the effects of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia could be extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due-diligence legislation.

Automated summary

Understanding the impact of cash crop expansion on natural forests is crucial. However, the lack of globally available maps for most crops makes it challenging to estimate the deforestation impacts accurately. In this study, we used Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing to create high-resolution maps of rubber and the associated deforestation in Southeast Asia. Our findings reveal that the deforestation caused by rubber cultivation is significantly higher than previously estimated. With millions of hectares of forest loss and significant rubber plantations in key biodiversity areas, the implications for biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia are substantial. Therefore, rubber cultivation deserves more attention in domestic policies, trade agreements, and due-diligence legislation.