Farming is a big reason why some rainforests are disappearing. Poor farmers who don't have their own land often cut down rainforest trees to make room for their crops. The soil in the rainforests is not very good for growing crops year after year, so these farmers have to keep moving to new areas. Every time they do this, they destroy more of the rainforests.

Ranching is another reason. Ranchers clear away large areas of rainforests to make pastures for feeding their cattle. Because these pastures don't cost them much money, they can sell their cattle at low prices. Big fast-food chains buy this cheap beef so they can sell their hamburgers at low prices.

Logging also destroys a lot of rainforest land. Logging companies cut down thousands of trees every day. These trees provide wood for building houses and making furniture. They also provide pulp for making all kinds of paper products.