Deforestation

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Deforestation is the clearing of land by cutting or burning large areas of trees. Deforestation is a very serious world environmental problem. An area of forest equal to 20 football fields is lost every minute. An area of forest the size of Florida is destroyed every year. The loss of forests causes many environmental problems, such as soil erosion, flooding, global warming, and loss of habitat for many animals and plants.

The growing of tobacco adds to the problem of deforestation. One in eight trees cut down in the world is due to tobacco growing or curing. Forests are cleared to grow tobacco. But, it is the cutting down of trees for fuel to dry tobacco that is a major cause of deforestation. In order to prepare tobacco for cigarettes and other products, it has to be dried by using heat. This drying process is called curing.

Most of the tobacco grown in the world is cured by burning wood. For every 300 cigarettes manufactured, one tree is cut down for curing. As a result, almost nine million acres of forests are lost each year.

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