The fruit that is hated (for good smelly reason) is powering deforestation. While America’s love of beef is famously causing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, similar problems are less well known.
Much of the region has mobilized to cater to China’s craving. In the last 12 years, Thai durian production almost tripled. Vietnamese coffee farmers have pivoted to growing durians. Rainforests in Malaysia were cleared for durian plantations. But it is still not enough — the reason investors are increasingly looking at landlocked Laos, with its suitable climate, cheap labor and vast uncultivated land.