A:

The bulldozing of natural ecosystems like forests to make more room for agriculture is one of the biggest drivers of extinction and biodiversity decline globally and in Australia.

Australia has the highest rate of deforestation in the developed world and most of it driven by expanding pasture for beef cattle.

Ongoing deforestation threatens hundreds of native species with extinction by destroying their habitat. It also causes soil erosion, increases flood risk, exacerbates the threat from invasive predators, emits carbon, and affects rainfall.

Because agriculture covers more than half of the Australian land mass, the opportunity for farmers to contribute to nature’s recovery by protecting and restoring forests, is also enormous.