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Coffee farming in Brazil is fueling deforestation that ultimately undermines the crop itself, a new Coffee Watch report warns. Using satellite imagery and government data, the group found more than 1,200 square miles of forest cleared for coffee between 2001 and 2023, and over 42,000 square miles lost in coffee-dense regions when indirect impacts are included. Scientists link such losses to reduced rainfall and drought, and most years in the past decade saw rain deficits in major coffee zones. Experts urge businesses and consumers to back more sustainable methods, which currently yield less.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.