Contrary to popular belief, coca not the driving force of deforestation, report reveals

Most of the world’s coca—the plant source of cocaine—grows in the Amazon forests of the Andean countries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, where many think this illicit crop causes deforestation. However, a team of researchers shows that most deforestation isn’t caused by coca cultivation. In fact, the study found that deforestation and coca both share a common origin in the implementation of an infrastructure plan from the 1960s to open the Amazon frontier through road construction and development projects.

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