Green

Cocaine Linked to Indirect Deforestation in Columbian Rain Forests

Cocaine is not only destroying lives these days since it is taken in the form of a drug but it is also a large reason why indirect deforestation takes place in the Columbian rain forests, and the reason they have attributed this to be related to coca farming.

According to researchers, having a coca plantation takes a lot out of the surrounding forests, and since only very little of the still-in-demand cocaine is found in each leaf, more and more forests are being cut down to create an adequate supply for greater profitability.

And if that’s not enough, this also means that the animal and plant life in and around this area, which is regarded to be one of the world’s richest biodiversity spots, has been steadily depleting due to the steady increase of land being used for coca farming.

At another level altogether, the use of pesticides have also been another reason for the decline of plant and animal life in this bio-diverse region, and although the demand for cocaine has been steadily dropping since 2001, the complexity involved in connecting the production of coca to deforestation everywhere is a bit farfetched.

And since this phenomenon isn’t the same in every region in Columbia where cocaine is cultivated but only in the ecologically sensitive areas, this heralds both good and bad news for the Columbian people and wildlife that will have to deal with the toxic repercussions of cultivating cocaine.