where large areas of forest are under threat. Commercial agriculture was found to be the leading cause of deforestation, with areas cleared to create space for livestock and to grow crops, such as soy for animal feed in the UK. Other drivers of large-scale deforestation include road building, mining and land speculation.
Habitat destruction in critically important forests such as the Amazon is one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss and climate change. It is also a risk factor to humans for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases such as COVID19. As wild habitats are destroyed, the risk of a zoonotic disease event is increased, as humans and livestock are driven into closer contact with wild animals.
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