West African Forests

West African Forests are among the world's worst deforestation hotspots, with Ghana and Ivory Coast losing over 80% of their original forest cover—a loss rate 30% faster than the global average for tropical forests. The primary driver is cocoa farming supplying the global chocolate industry, which has consumed nearly 70% of Ghana's remaining high-forest zones since 2000. Less than 2% of Ivory Coast's old-growth forest persists outside protected areas, making this the most depleted cocoa-driven ecosystem on Earth. This relentless conversion outperforms #10 Boreal Forests of Canada in immediate biodiversity loss, as West Africa's unique species have no intact refuge left.