what is deforestation? why is it happening?

Deforestation is, quite simply, the act of clearing a wide area of trees. For a more advanced definition, we look to John Kricher’s explanation: deforestation is the cutting, clearing, and removal of rainforest or related ecosystems, and subsequent conversion into other, less biodiverse, ecosystems such as pasture, cropland, or plantation. 

Large logging and agricultural companies clear land for roads, which breaches the boundaries of the forest, Local families see this as an economic opportunity, and move into the forest using the newly built roads. When Whole Forest was established in 2002, most families in the town of Cristóbal Colón and surrounding communities earned a small living by clear-cutting forests to create monoculture plantations.

It's typical for optimal soil conditions to decline after a few years, and then crops to began to fail. Land is converted to pasture for cattle-grazing, or people move in order to clear-cut more forest.