"Forest fires, the result of clearing for new farms or the expansion of existing ones, further complicate the matter. Farmers in the reserve told Mongabay in 2021 that these fires  can grow out of control and are difficult, if not impossible, to contain due to a lack of staff and firefighting equipment. Satellite data from NASA show fire alerts clustered over half of Akure-Ofosu during the first few months of 2023." (Sunday)

"Previous reporting by Mongabay contributor Orji Sunday revealed fire and associated deforestation in Akure-Ofosu was being driven by logging and farming, which, in turn, is driven by the country’s high rates of poverty." (Erickson-Davis)

"Africa began to export low-value primary products and import higher-priced European manufactured goods. There was virtually no industry, and the African economy also became less stable as the prices of primary products fluctuated." (The Effects of the Industrial Revolution on Africa)

"Huge areas of rainforest are destroyed by clearing for farming, timber, roads, hydropower dams, mining, house-building or other development. The problem is it's often seen as more economically worthwhile to cut the forest down than to keep it standing." (The Amazon Rainforest)

"Scientists warn that decades of human activity and a changing climate has brought the jungle near a 'tipping point.'"(Sandy)

"The rainforest is not only home to an incredible diversity of species, it also has a critical cooling effect on the planet because its trees channel heat high into the atmosphere. In addition, forests absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere—CO2 that is released back into the atmosphere when trees are cut and burned." (Bundchen)

"Oil palm plantations currently cover more than 27 million hectares of the Earth’s surface. Forests and human settlements have been destroyed and replaced by “green deserts” containing virtually no biodiversity on an area the size of New Zealand." (Palm Oil)

"Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities." (What Is Palm Oil? Facts about the Palm Oil Industry)

"Large areas of tropical forests and other ecosystems with high conservation values have been cleared to make room for vast monoculture oil palm plantations. This clearing has destroyed critical habitat for many endangered species—including rhinos, elephants and tigers. Burning forests to make room for the crop is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Intensive cultivation methods result in soil pollution and erosion and water contamination." (What Is Palm Oil? Facts about the Palm Oil Industry)