According to the Global Forest Observatory, 4.3 million hectares have disappeared in one year in primary tropical forests, ecosystems crucial for the climate and biodiversity. A clear slowdown compared to 2024 linked to the mobilization of several countries but still very far from the objective of putting an end to deforestation by 2030.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 6:25 p.m. Modified on: 04/29/2026 - 7:18 p.m.

After a year 2024 which marked a dark record, 2025 gives (a little) hope. Over the past twelve months, the planet's primary tropical forests have continued to disappear at breakneck speed, losing the equivalent of eleven football fields per minute. But this pace has slowed significantly compared to last year.

In total, tropical regions have lost 4.3 million hectares (Mha) of primary forest, an area equivalent to that of Denmark, according to data collected by satellite and analyzed by the Global Forest Observatory. A figure down 36% compared to 2024, a record year marked by extraordinary fires.

Behind this good news? Stricter policies put in place by several forestry countries to stop the cutting of trees in these areas with an irreplaceable role. Because primary forests are home to vast biodiversity, regulate water and climate cycles by storing carbon and provide resources to millions of people.

But, despite this lull, the count is still far from being there. Primary forest losses remain 46% higher than ten years ago. Above all, current levels are still 70% too high to meet the objective taken by 140 states at COP26 in 2021 to stop deforestation by 2030.

Because while some States are making notable and beneficial efforts, elsewhere, the growing demand for raw materials and the needs of populations are increasing the pressure. And everywhere, fires threaten to grow, exacerbated by the climate crisis.

Between drastic regulations, pressures from the agricultural world, or the needs of populations, France 24 reviews the policies implemented in five countries housing the main areas of primary forests in the world.

Brazil, the good student

It is the country that can boast of being the good student in the fight against deforestation. And that's good, since Brazil is home to the largest primary tropical forest in the world.

Read also Defender of forests and oil: in Brazil, Lula faces his contradictions

Upon his return to power in 2023, President Lula brandished the subject as one of the great battles of his mandate. He immediately appointed Marina Silva to the Ministry of the Environment, who had already managed to reduce deforestation during her first two mandates (2003-2010), and had reactivated the Amazon Fund, an international financing mechanism.

At the same time, it has significantly strengthened regulations and controls against illegal deforestation. “Brazil’s federal environmental agency, Ibama, has increased fines for environmental violations by 63% from 2023 to 2025 compared to 2020-2022,” notes the World Forest Observatory.

Read alsoBrazil: Ibama, an environmental police force that is catching its breath

The results are there. While it had reached more than 10,000 km² in 2022, the last year of the Bolsonaro presidency, deforestation halved by 2023. And in 2025, primary deforestation not linked to fires fell by another 41% compared to 2024, reaching its lowest level ever recorded.

“Brazil offers a very good example to show that when a head of state mobilizes, the results are there,” welcomes Erin Matson, forest specialist and consultant at the company Climate Focus. “And above all, it proves that by simply strengthening controls, we can quickly and drastically reduce deforestation.”

The fact remains that Lula must deal with constant pressure from the agricultural world - the expansion of soya and livestock remains the main driver of forest destruction. However, “some states in the Amazon have adopted legislation aimed at weakening environmental protections at the state level,” deplores the global observatory. There is reason to fear that progress will only be short-lived.

Colombia in the Brazilian furrow

Colombia can also boast of good results with a loss of primary forest which decreased by 17% between 2024 and 2025.

“The government of Gustavo Petro has adopted several very beneficial measures for forests in 2025 and this places the country on a very good trajectory for the years to come,” welcomes Erin Matson.

First, the country adopted several measures in favor of the recognition of indigenous rights. Among them, in May 2025, he voted for “the law on the recognition of indigenous territorial entities” which offers local people governance over their territory and therefore more authority to defend their forests. “A big step forward both for human rights and for the environment,” insists the specialist.

At the same time, Bogota has implemented a new law aimed at improving traceability in the livestock sector. The stated objective: to guarantee that beef sold on Colombian markets is not linked to deforestation.

But in this country too, several threats persist. “Roads have expanded into the Amazon forests, including in protected areas and indigenous territories,” notes the Forest Observatory. Illegal routes, often linked to armed groups and illicit crop production.

Above all, "the measures are unraveling faster than they are being put in place", points out Erin Matson, while the mandate of Gustavo Petro, the first left-wing president in the history of the country and openly green, ends at the end of June.

In Indonesia, a “slippery slope”

The results are more mixed in Indonesia, notes Erin Matson. “Certainly, this South-Eastern country has managed to keep a relatively low level of deforestation for around ten years, but it tends to start increasing again rather than continuing its slowdown,” she regrets. The loss of primary forest thus increased by 14% between 2024 and 2025.

The cause, explains the specialist, is a food security program, the Food estate program, which leads to massive agricultural expansion and forest clearing. “Not to mention that there is also mining expansion, particularly for nickel, which also leads to its share of forest destruction,” she warns.

“Certainly, for ten years, Indonesia was a good student which had managed to reverse the trend and drastically reduce its deforestation,” continues the specialist. “But today, it clearly shows that this is no longer its priority in favor of agricultural, mining and economic development. But this will not be viable in the long term.”

“Indonesia is the perfect example that in the long term, curbing deforestation can only be achieved through profound changes to our economic model, since pressure on forests continues to increase as global demand for soya, wood, nickel and other raw materials increases.”

In Bolivia, the scourge of forest fires

In Bolivia too, the situation is worrying. The country has recorded the second highest loss of primary forests in the world. The cause is extraordinary forest fires fueled by repeated episodes of drought.

“Bolivia must take preventative measures to avoid catastrophic fires in the future, especially as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of dry and hot conditions,” warns the Global Forest Observatory in its report.

Added to this is "the progression of livestock breeding and crops such as soya, corn and sorghum", continues the organization, deploring that to date the country has not announced any "measures to prevent further agricultural encroachments in the country's forests."

DR Congo, deforestation to feed the populations

Finally, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the third country most affected by deforestation, tree cutting is less linked to global demand for raw materials than to local needs for food and energy.

Read alsoIn the Congo Basin, the violated rights of indigenous peoples in the face of deforestation

“The issues are completely different. Deforestation here is mainly linked to the subsistence needs of precarious populations who have no alternatives,” notes Erin Matson.

In this country which is home to the "second lung of the planet", the majority of forest loss is in fact due to individual shifting cultivation and the harvesting of wood for firewood and charcoal - the dominant forms of energy in the country.

“And this phenomenon is further amplified by ongoing conflicts which force communities to move, and therefore to clear land to create new housing areas,” notes Erin Matson. “This constitutes a real vicious circle: the population directly participates in destroying their means of subsistence,” she concludes. “This is the perfect example of the importance of international aid mechanisms to stop this dynamic.” For this, the year 2026 will be decisive. It will make it possible to measure the impact of new tools, such as the international fund launched at COP30 in November 2025, to remunerate States for preserving their forests.

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