How did Agent Orange affect Vietnam’s forests and farmland?

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military utilized Agent Orange as a defoliant to achieve two primary tactical objectives: clearing dense vegetation that provided concealment for enemy forces and destroying agricultural crops that served as food sources for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops.12

Between 1962 and 1971, approximately 50 million liters of this herbicide mixture were sprayed across Vietnam from low-flying aircraft. The chemical caused leaves to drop prematurely, effectively stripping forests of their cover. Beyond the immediate environmental impact, the use of Agent Orange remains a grave moral issue due to the presence of dioxin, a highly toxic by-product. This contamination has been linked to severe, long-term health consequences for the Vietnamese population, including high rates of birth defects, cancers, and other serious illnesses that have persisted for decades.12