Global forest-related GHG emissions due to shifting agriculture 2001-2023
Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from tree cover loss associated with shifting agriculture totaled 3.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO₂e) in 2023. This represents a growth in emissions of more than 180 percent from 2001 levels. Shifting agriculture is where forests are cleared for small to medium-scale agricultural production for two to three years, and then temporarily abandoned to allow trees to regrow.