by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
Three oil crops \u2014 oil palm<\/strong>, coconut<\/strong> and soybean<\/strong> \u2014 are accelerating the disappearance of animal and plant species<\/strong> to a significant extent and are ultimately contributing more than any other agricultural production to the worsening of this phenomenon. This is the conclusion of a new study<\/a> conducted by an international team, which attributes a potential loss of 1.5% of global biodiversity to the cultivation of these commodities.<\/p>\n According to the authors, this phenomenon is the direct result of the expansion of cultivated land<\/strong> in response to rising demand for everyday products such as margarine, snacks, cosmetics and animal feed. This trend, in turn, is putting increasing pressure on natural habitats.<\/p>\n