The difference in forest area between two points in time, taking into account both losses from deforestation and gains from forest regeneration and restoration. Net deforestation is measured with reference to a given geographic area (eg, a district, state, nation, or globe) and a given timeframe.

• The Accountability Framework specifies that net deforestation is not an appropriate metric for characterising the forest and land-use footprint of company operations, supply chains, or investments. Rather, companies should utilise the concept of (gross) deforestation, as defined by the Accountability Framework, in setting targets and monitoring outcomes.
• This definition is provided here for context and completeness because it sometimes appears in the lexicon. Some have suggested that net deforestation may be a relevant concept for setting targets and informing land-use planning at the landscape, jurisdictional, or national scale, considering all sectors and all land uses together. To the extent that the net deforestation concept is used in these contexts, the AFi advocates that natural forests be distinguished and tracked separately from tree plantations for the purpose of quantifying forest loss and gain.