This story was originally posted by Greenpeace Argentina in Spanish.
Clearing and deforestation are aggressively advancing on the native forests of northern Argentina, according to a recent report from Greenpeace Argentina based on satellite monitoring imagery.
To understand the magnitude of the damage caused, the images below show some of the highlights from this new investigation along with part of the photographic survey of cleared areas.
During 2023, 126,149 hectares of native forests were lost in the north of the country, 6.2% more than in 2022.
It’s clear that there was an increase in land clearings last year, especially illegally.
100% of the clearings in Chaco and 80% of the clearings in Santiago del Estero were illegal.
The main cause of the loss of native forests in Argentina is the growth of the agricultural industry, mainly for intensive livestock farming and genetically modified soybeans, which are mostly exported to Asia and Europe.
The increasing levels of deforestation in Argentina and around the world intensify the consequences of climate change, which range from more and frequent extreme weather events, to the extinction of species, displacement of native and Indigenous communities and impacts on human health.
Meri Castro is a Digital Content Creator at Greenpeace Andino.