Unsustainable agriculture practices lead to devastating deforestation.

The agriculture industry is a major contributor to deforestation. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies the expansion of agriculture as the main cause of deforestation. According to an FAO report, “In tropical and subtropical countries, large-scale commercial agriculture and subsistence agriculture accounted for 73% of deforestation”.

Jamaica's deforestation is largely caused by agricultural expansion, especially coffee. Uncontrolled deforestation is adversely affecting watersheds and inducing serious flooding. It poses a significant threat to the environmental, socioeconomic, and ecological stability of the country since forests provide essential services to its largely poor population. (Home World Rainforest Movement. (2001).

The loss of forests has also contributed to the degradation of watersheds, which impacts the availability of water for agricultural use, deforestation causes soil erosion as long tree root networks keep the soil together. Unsustainable development of the agricultural sector has further exacerbated the issue of deforestation which propels the effect of global warming. To achieve sustainable development, it is crucial to address the underlying causes of deforestation and promote sustainable land use practices.

Three of the biggest carbon sinks on earth are; the ocean, the soil, and trees. Deforestation reduces the number of trees available to absorb carbon dioxide, when there is an abundance of C02 present within the atmosphere it warms the planet causing climate change. As Jamaica is a tropical country and hurricanes are a guarantee, warmer temperatures will produce stronger and longer hurricanes which will threaten the agriculture industry’s ability to produce food. (Asner)

“The Paris Agreement is a United Nations treaty signed in 2016 which, for the first time, brings all nations into a common cause to work together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. The agreement also provides extra support to assist developing countries to do so.” (Our Footprint JA, 2017) In April 2017, the Jamaican government accepted the Paris Agreement. The agreement's ratification curbs Jamaican industries that produce huge volumes of greenhouse gases that directly contribute to rising temperatures and big-scale deforestation which contributes to the rise in CO2 levels.

To tackle deforestation and achieve strong sustainability, the industry can use the Systems Thinking technique. This approach involves analyzing the different elements of the system, identifying the root causes of the problem, and developing solutions that address the underlying issues. To begin, the industry can conduct a holistic assessment of the system to identify the cause and impacts of deforestation, next the industry can develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of deforestation.

This can include promoting sustainable land use practices, and investing in reforestation efforts, the Agriculture industry can work with stakeholders to promote sustainable consumption patterns and increase awareness of the impacts of deforestation. Finally, the industry can monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy over time and adjust as needed.