Environment

Environmental collapse

Coffee farmers who are unable to make a living from their coffee farms are being forced to cut down the surrounding forest canopy in order to graze cattle or plant other crops. As a last resort, many have to sell their land. Buyers, who take advantage of the low land prices, can buy large tracts of land which they can often clear for cattle grazing or plantation crops. The resulting deforestation has devastating effects on the environment. Soil erosion, water pollution and the loss of natural habitats for many species of wildlife are just some of the consequences of deforestation.

In Central America, the coffee crisis is taking a toll on environmental equilibrium, as thousands of hectares of deserted plantations reduces the process of carbon fixing and oxygen production, while simultaneously leading to increased soil erosion.

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