Deforestation, particularly in tropical forests, remains a global concern. In some instances, paid lobbyists are used to defend operations that contribute to deforestation and illegal timber activities.

In 2010, twelve leading scientists, including the former head of Kew Gardens and the biodiversity advisor to the president of the World Bank, wrote an open letter to address distortions, misrepresentations, or misinterpretations of fact on analysis and writings about rainforests and logging.

An Open Letter from twelve of the world's leading scientists
About Scientific Credibility and the Conservation of Tropical Forests