Cattle ranching in the Amazon rainforest

Abstract

Since the 1960s, the cattle herd of the Amazon Basin has increased from 5 millions to more than 70-80 million heads. Around 15% of the Amazon forest has been replaced and around 80% of the deforested areas have been covered by pastures (approximately 900 000 km2). Cattle expansion occurs in the new agricultural frontier areas of the Arc of deforestation, from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon (States of Maranhao and Para), through the Southern Brazilian Amazon (States of Tocantins, Mato Grosso and Rondonia) and the Bolivian rainforests, to the Andean Amazon ecosystems of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. Based on 1990s data from different agricultural frontiers of the Amazon basin, the authors try to identify the main factors responsible for cattle expansion. Whereas there are some promising and sustainable land use alternatives are emerging in particular regions, adequate solutions to avoid or minimize the negative ecological impact of Amazon basin development still have to be found.