Forests being cleared for cattle ranching and soya

Cattle ranching is the number one cause of deforestation in the Amazon, responsible for as much as 80% of all forest cleared. Today, Brazil is the world’s top exporter of beef, but demand at home is also growing rapidly. Unfortunately, the preferred method of clearing is to burn forest, which releases tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere. And the whole process is often complicated by unclear land rights and illegal ‘land-grabbing’, which causes difficult social issues and conflict.

Soya, exported to feed livestock like chickens, pigs and cows here in Europe, is another key cause of habitat loss in Brazil – especially in the Cerrado, or savannah region, which lies directly south of the Amazon. Thanks to a pact between businesses, NGOs and government – known as the Amazon Soy Moratorium – soya production on pristine Amazon rainforest has fallen dramatically. The problem is that producers are instead buying up converted pasture from cattle ranchers, which pushes ranchers to clear pristine habitats further into the rainforest.

WWF is a founder member of the Roundtable on Responsible Soy, and actively involved in the Sustainable Beef Working Group in Brazil. These initiatives bring together different stakeholders to improve business practices and stop conversion of important forests like the Amazon.

Find out more on WWF’s website.