Introduction
The rate of deforestation of the Amazon has been on the increase for the last two decades. Presently, 70 percent of the land in the Amazon that was initially forested is now occupied by cattle ranches (Marglis, 2004, p. 2). Further, 91 percent of the deforested land in the Amazon since 1970 has been put to the same use of cattle ranching. Cattle ranching on large scale are thought to have led to a 38 percent decline in the forest cover of the Amazon in Brazil, from 1966 to 1975. CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) asserts that “between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe’s processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent” and by 2003 ” (2007, p. 4). Since mid 1960s, the Amazon forest cover has been cleared at a high rate, in order to make room for cattle ranching, owing to a rising demand for beef.
In addition, the Brazilian real was rapidly losing value against the dollar, and this necessitated the need to increase beef prices two folds, and hence the mass beef production. Brazilian land tenure policy facilitated the ease with which ranchers could clear the forest for cattle rearing. Nepstad and colleagues (2008, p.6) argue that approximately 20 percent of the entire Amazon rainforest in Brazil has now been cleared to pave way for human activities, such as ranching. Accordingly, estimations are that by 2050, nearly 50 percent of the rainforest in Brazil shall have disappeared. As a result, it is expected that the temperature in the region shall increase by an average of 4°C.
In addition, this shall result in a 20 percent reduction in rainfall within this region, with such devastating consequences as forest die-back and ‘savannization’ (Nepstad et al, 2008, p. 6). This research paper intends to describe and analyze the environmental impacts of the human use of resources and to identify and evaluate technologies or policies designed to manage these impacts. Accordingly, the environmental impacts of cattle ranching on Brazilian rainforest shall be examined.
Cattle Ranching and Brazil’s rainforests
The clearing of the Amazon forest in Brazil, ostensibly to pave way for cattle production, is an issue that has elicited vocal and visible environmental debates for the last one decade, with critics arguing that unless policy and attitude changes are instituted, there is the possibility that the Amazon could be faced with an imminent disappearance. A multitude of environmental problems have been associated with the current high deforestation rates of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. These includes localised land degradation, and climate change issue that impacts on a global level (Nepstad et al, 2008, p. 6).
While land in the Amazon has been put to different uses, cattle production appears to be the most predominant human activity, and environmentalists are concerned about the impending environmental degradation of the Amazon if at all this activity is not checked (Williams, 2006, p. 143). Environmentalists argue that the high rate at which the Amazon is being cleared to make room for the production of beef cannot be warranted by questionable sustainability and low productivity. On the other hand, Amazon development critics regard the subsidies that the government of Brazil made for cattle ranchers on a large scale, along with the activity of land speculation that was a characteristic of colonization projects, as the chief menacing causes of the existing deforestation exercise. In the end, a large portion of the Brazilian Amazon that is cleared becomes pasture land.
The rapid rate at which the beef industry in Brazil has grown over the years could also be a driving force to the increased rate of clearance of the Brazilian Amazon (Armenteras, Rudas, Rodriguez, Sua & Romero, 2006, p. 355). There are a number of factors that have significantly contributed to the increased rate at which the Amazon rain forest is disappearing, thanks to the popularity of cattle ranching as a human activity. To start with, livestock products have been experiencing a favorable market. The Brazilian government has also subsidized livestock credit, along with the promotion of policies of land tenure that appears to favor such extensive systems of farming. In 2004, close to 8,000 square miles land of the Brazilian Amazon’s rainforest was lost to deforestation, with 80 percent of this cleared land being dedicated to cattle ranching (Armenteras et al, 2006, p. 356).
Only about 1 percent of the rain forest in Brazilian Amazon had been destroyed due to deforestation by 1970. Currently though it is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of this land has already been lost, with the latest statistic forecasting that every year, 1 percent of the rainforest disappears. The expansion of cattle ranching in Brazil has increased in tandem with the rate of destruction of the Amazon. For example, from 1990 to 2005, the production of cattle in the Brazil Amazon increased by 47 million, stand at 74 million (Armenteras et al, 2006, p. 356).
Table 1: Herd Size evolution in Amazon forest
There was also a rise in the demand for Brazilian beef in the European market, and this translated into an increase in beef export to 70 percent, from 40 percent, for the same period. The increase in beef exports has therefore greatly contributed to the increased level of deforestation of the Amazon.
Evaluation
The Brazilian government could enter into an agreement with the ranchers in the country to ensure that they maintain a large portion of their land (for example, 70 percent) under forest cover. In return, the government could endeavour to market their products internationally; through way of guaranteeing the buyers that the beef produced is certified and has sustainable and legal procedures have been followed for its production. The Brazilian government should also endeavour to ensure that the ranchers obtain a premium price for their products, as long as they follow the set rules. In this case both the producers and the buyers benefit. Producers obtained premium products prices, while buyers are assured of beef that has been responsibly and legally produced. The result of this is that the rate of destruction of the rain forests reduced drastically, in effect leading to ecosystem preservation.
One of the limitations for the success of this certification system is the need to ensure that consumers’ buy-ins are present. Given that the rapid rate of deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon is chiefly industry driven, as opposed to subsistence agriculture, there is a chance that environmental advocacy groups may exploit. The sensitivity of the corporate to maintain a sound public image may however be at risk when such a policies is being implemented. What this means is that the economic transition that the Amazon region ahs experienced has led to NGOs gaining a new leverage with regard to awareness campaigns to consumers. Policies that impacts on deforestation could also be influenced by environmental groups. For example, Nike has declined to buy leather source from Brazilian beef industry, citing environmental destruction concerns, and as a way of acting in solidarity with other corporations that have embraced environmental protection policies.
Recommendation
As the demand for beef form the Brazilian market increases, there is a resultant rise in the number of acreage of the Amazon rainforest that being cleared to pave way for cattle ranching. Therefore, the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon is mainly driven by the market forces of demand for exported beef, especially to the European market. There is a need therefore for the consumers of beef from cattle ranches in Brazil to take a stance that will ensure that the rate of deforestation of the Amazon is reduced. One way of doing this is by ensuring that they only purchase beef that has been certified as being produced under sustainable conditions.
In addition, the ranchers could also be encouraged to take the initiative of maintaining forest reserves and conserving soil, with the government offering incentives to those that abide by this recommendation. Consumers need to ensure they only purchase beef that has been produced through sustainable and responsible means. This might entail the use of high-tech means, such as the use of electronic documentation systems and ranches identification via satellite photos, as a means of identifying ranches that produce their cattle in a responsible manner.
Conclusion
Even as the increase in the rate of beef production in the Amazon rainforest rises, it may not be expected that cattle production banning in this region could be an effective policy, going by the rising trend in the demand for Brazilin beef in the world market. Therefore, the most sustainable solution would be for the Brazilian government to turn its strong stance on beef production into a competitive advantage for beef producers, by ensuring that they get premium prices for their products, as long as they ensure that maintain a certain agreed percentage of their ranches under forest cover. In addition, the consumers need to ensure that they only purchase beef that is certified, and which has been produced using sustainable and responsible means.
Reference
Armenteras, D., Rudas, G., Rodriguez, N., Sua, S. & Romero, M. (2006) Patterns and causes of deforestation in the Amazon. Ecological Indicators, 6:353-368.
Center for International Forestry Research (2007). “Beef exports fuel loss of Amazonian forest”. Center for International Forestry Research
Marglis, S. (2004). “Causes of deforestation of Brazilian Amazon”. World Bank Working Paper No. 22.
Nepstad, D.C., Stickler, C.M., Soares-Filho, B. & Merry, F. (2008) Interactions among Amazon land use, forests and climate: prospects for a near-term forest tipping point.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Williams, M. (2006). Deforesting the Earth: From Prehistory to Global Crisis. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.