Forests around the world disappeared at a rate of 18 soccer fields every minute, a global survey found. Fires accounted for nearly half of the losses.

Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world’s tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares, the most of any country. It was a reversal of the progress made in 2023, when Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office promising to protect the world’s largest rainforest.

Brazil, which holds the largest share of the world’s tropical forests, lost 2.8 million hectares (6.9 million acres), the most of any country