Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon

Extensive livestock production is a major deforestation driver in the Brazilian Amazon. This study presents an assessment of the economic and environmental feasibility of sustainable livestock intensification in São Félix do Xingu municipality, a deforestation frontier with an area of more than 8.5...

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Main Authors: Edenise Garcia, Fábio Sampaio Vianna Ramos Filho, Giovanni Matheus Mallmann, Francisco Fonseca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-01-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/1/158
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spelling doaj-9795203e7cef463888f1d096997d86772020-11-24T22:54:30ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502017-01-019115810.3390/su9010158su9010158Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian AmazonEdenise Garcia0Fábio Sampaio Vianna Ramos Filho1Giovanni Matheus Mallmann2Francisco Fonseca3The Nature Conservancy, Belém 66035-115, BrazilAgrosuisse, Rio de Janeiro 22270-010, BrazilThe Nature Conservancy, Belém 66035-115, BrazilThe Nature Conservancy, Belém 66035-115, BrazilExtensive livestock production is a major deforestation driver in the Brazilian Amazon. This study presents an assessment of the economic and environmental feasibility of sustainable livestock intensification in São Félix do Xingu municipality, a deforestation frontier with an area of more than 8.5 million hectares, and home to the largest cattle herd in Brazil. Proposed intensification was limited to approximately three animal units per hectare to avoid negative environmental impacts. Transition costs to sustainable cattle intensification were estimated for thirteen pilot farms taking into account adoption of good agriculture practices, pasture maintenance/restoration, and restoration of environmental liabilities. To move to sustainable intensification practices, a mean total annual investment of US$1335/ha ± US$619/ha would be necessary, varying from US$750 to US$2595/ha. Internal rate of return and net present value estimates indicated that the sustainable livestock intensification approach proposed was profitable in farms with more than 400 hectares of pastureland, but not in those where the pasture areas were smaller than 150 hectares. Livestock sustainable intensification also had the potential to promote social and environmental benefits, including a 54% increase in the number of contract workers, improvement of landowners’ managerial skills, and workers’ training, in addition to avoiding emission of 1.9 Mt CO2eq and sequestration of 0.36 Mt CO2eq. We conclude that the sustainable intensification of pasture areas has the potential to prevent further deforestation in the Amazon while generating social and other environmental benefits.http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/1/158livestocksustainable intensificationAmazondeforestation
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Edenise Garcia
Fábio Sampaio Vianna Ramos Filho
Giovanni Matheus Mallmann
Francisco Fonseca
spellingShingle Edenise Garcia
Fábio Sampaio Vianna Ramos Filho
Giovanni Matheus Mallmann
Francisco Fonseca
Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
Sustainability
livestock
sustainable intensification
Amazon
deforestation
author_facet Edenise Garcia
Fábio Sampaio Vianna Ramos Filho
Giovanni Matheus Mallmann
Francisco Fonseca
author_sort Edenise Garcia
title Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
title_short Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
title_full Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
title_fullStr Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
title_full_unstemmed Costs, Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable Livestock Intensification in a Major Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon
title_sort costs, benefits and challenges of sustainable livestock intensification in a major deforestation frontier in the brazilian amazon
publisher MDPI AG
series Sustainability
issn 2071-1050
publishDate 2017-01-01
description Extensive livestock production is a major deforestation driver in the Brazilian Amazon. This study presents an assessment of the economic and environmental feasibility of sustainable livestock intensification in São Félix do Xingu municipality, a deforestation frontier with an area of more than 8.5 million hectares, and home to the largest cattle herd in Brazil. Proposed intensification was limited to approximately three animal units per hectare to avoid negative environmental impacts. Transition costs to sustainable cattle intensification were estimated for thirteen pilot farms taking into account adoption of good agriculture practices, pasture maintenance/restoration, and restoration of environmental liabilities. To move to sustainable intensification practices, a mean total annual investment of US$1335/ha ± US$619/ha would be necessary, varying from US$750 to US$2595/ha. Internal rate of return and net present value estimates indicated that the sustainable livestock intensification approach proposed was profitable in farms with more than 400 hectares of pastureland, but not in those where the pasture areas were smaller than 150 hectares. Livestock sustainable intensification also had the potential to promote social and environmental benefits, including a 54% increase in the number of contract workers, improvement of landowners’ managerial skills, and workers’ training, in addition to avoiding emission of 1.9 Mt CO2eq and sequestration of 0.36 Mt CO2eq. We conclude that the sustainable intensification of pasture areas has the potential to prevent further deforestation in the Amazon while generating social and other environmental benefits.
topic livestock
sustainable intensification
Amazon
deforestation
url http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/1/158
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