Why experts say tackling deforestation could be key to stopping future pandemics Experts studying how diseases make their way from animals to humans say we need to rethink the way we use and manage land if we want to prevent future pandemics. Social Sharing CBC Radio · Posted: Apr 12, 2021 4:54 PM ET | Last Updated: April 12 A forest activist inspects a land clearing and drainage of peat natural forest in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2014. Large swaths of the country's forest areas are being cleared to make way for producing palm oil, says Terry Sunderland, a forestry professor at the University of British Columbia, and that can contribute to the spread of disease. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)