Proximate or direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation are human activities and actions that directly impact forest cover and result in loss of carbon stocks. Agriculture is estimated to be the proximate driver for around 80% of deforestation worldwide. Commercial agriculture is the most important driver of deforestation in Latin America (around 2/3 of total deforested area). In Africa and (sub)tropical Asia it accounts for around 1/3 of deforestation and is of similar importance to subsistence agriculture. Mining, infrastructure and urban expansion are important but less prominent. Findings on global patterns of degradation indicate that (commercial) timber extraction and logging activities account for more than 70% of total degradation in Latin America and (sub)tropical Asia. Fuel wood collection, charcoal production, and, to a lesser extent, livestock grazing in forests are the most important drivers of degradation in large parts of Africa.