Results from On-The-Ground Efforts to Promote Sustainable Cattle Ranching in the Brazilian Amazon

Sustainability

ErasmusK.H.J. zu Ermgassen¹  Andrew Balmford¹  JudsonF. Valentim²  Luis Barioni³  GabrielC. Carrero⁴  MelquesedekPereira de Alcântara⁴  Eduardode A.S. Florence⁵  FranciscoBeduschi Neto⁵  EduardoTrevisan Gonçalves⁶  CasioTrajano da Luz⁶  BernardoB.N. Strassburg⁷  Agnieszka Latawiec⁷  Edenise Garcia⁸  GiovanniM. Mallman⁸  Genivaldode Brito⁸  MuriloM. F. Bettarello⁹ 

[1] Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK;Embrapa Acre. Rodovia BR-364, km 14, Caixa Postal 321., Rio Branco, SC 69908-970, Brazil;Embrapa Agriculture Informatics, Av. André Tosello, nº 209, Campus da Unicamp, Campinas, SP 13083-886, Brazil;Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon, Rua Barão de Solimões 12, Manaus, AM 69058-250, Brazil;Instituto Centro de Vida, Av. Ariosto da Riva, 3473- St E, Alta Floresta, MT 78580-000, Brazil;Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola, Estrada Chico Mendes 185, Piracicaba, SP 13426-420, Brazil;International Institute for Sustainability, Estrada Dona Castorina 124, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-320, Brazil;The Nature Conservancy, Belém, PA 66035-115, Brazil;Via Verde Consultoria Agropecuária em Sistemas Tropicais, Rua Mariana Amaral 138, São Sebastião do Paraíso, MG 37950-000, Brazil;

关键词: livestock;    Amazon;    beef;    dairy;    sustainable intensification;    land sparing;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su10041301

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown