Global supply chains for beef, soy, palm oil, and timber drive deforestation that destroys habitat and directly causes animal welfare harm at landscape scales.
Deforestation-linked supply chains cause welfare harm at every scale from individual animals cleared from land to species pushed toward extinction. Animals in cleared forest areas face direct killing, habitat displacement, and resource competition in reduced remaining habitat. Entire populations of slow-reproducing species face collapse from habitat loss that cannot be recovered on human timescales. Consumer pressure, corporate commitments, and regulatory enforcement are all essential levers.