Results from on-the-ground efforts to promote sustainable cattle ranching in the Brazilian Amazon

zu Ermgassen, Erasmus K. H. J., de Alcântara, Melquesedek Pereira, Balmford, Andrew, Barioni, Luis, Neto, Francisco Beduschi, Bettarello, Murilo M. F., de Brito, Genivaldo, Carrero, Gabriel C., de A. S. Florence, Eduardo, Garcia, Edenise, Trevisan Gonçalves, Eduardo, da Luz, Casio Trajano, Mallman, Giovanni M., Strassburg, Bernardo B. N., Valentim, Judson F. and Latawiec, Agnieszka (2018) Results from on-the-ground efforts to promote sustainable cattle ranching in the Brazilian Amazon. Sustainability, 10 (4). ISSN 2071-1050

Preview

PDF (Published manuscript) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (5MB) | Preview

Abstract

Agriculture in Brazil is booming. Brazil has the world’s second largest cattle herd and is the second largest producer of soybeans, with the production of beef, soybeans, and bioethanol forecast to increase further. Questions remain, however, about how Brazil can reconcile increases in agricultural production with protection of its remaining natural vegetation. While high hopes have been placed on the potential for intensification of low-productivity cattle ranching to spare land for other agricultural uses, cattle productivity in the Amazon biome (29% of the Brazilian cattle herd) remains stubbornly low, and it is not clear how to realize theoretical productivity gains in practice. We provide results from six initiatives in the Brazilian Amazon, which are successfully improving cattle productivity in beef and dairy production on more than 500,000 hectares of pastureland, while supporting compliance with the Brazilian Forest Code. Spread across diverse geographies, and using a wide range of technologies, participating farms have improved productivity by 30–490%. High-productivity cattle ranching requires some initial investment (R$1300–6900/ha or US$410–2180/ha), with average pay-back times of 2.5–8.5 years. We conclude by reflecting on the challenges that must be overcome to scale up these young initiatives, avoid rebound increases in deforestation, and mainstream sustainable cattle ranching in the Amazon.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	livestock,amazon,beef,dairy,sustainable intensification,land sparing,sdg 2 - zero hunger,sdg 15 - life on land ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/zero_hunger
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Related URLs:	http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/1301
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 May 2018 14:30
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2022 18:38
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/67036
DOI:	10.3390/su10041301

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item