Accuracy of rubber-related deforestation maps

Accurate mapping of rubber plantations is essential to understanding where deforestation due to rubber production occurs. Wang et al . ¹ produced 10-meter resolution maps of mature rubber with a reported high overall classification accuracy (OA = 0.95 ± 0.02), indicating that more than 4 million hectares of forests have been converted to rubber plantations in Southeast Asia and parts of China since 1993. However, we have serious concerns about the accuracy of these maps, as our analysis indicates that the area estimates by Wang et al . ¹ are significantly inflated. This observation underscores the need for caution in using these high-resolution maps for specific applications, such as assessing deforestation linked to rubber consumption under the EU regulation on deforestation-free products.