Deforestation and Cattle Ranching in the Brazilian Amazon: External Capital and Household Processes

Cattle ownership has been long viewed as a status symbol in Latin American culture.

“Third, cattle ownership has been long viewed as a status symbol in Latin American culture (Walker et al. 2000, Hoelle 2011).”

Homma observed that the amount of land attributed to pasture was similar to the amount used for cropping in the properties visited in 1975, while Walker et al. found that only one-tenth of the total land allocated to pasture was used for cropping.

“In fact, Homma observed that the amount of land attributed to pasture was similar to the amount used for cropping in the properties visited in 1975 [9], while Walker et al. found that only one-tenth of the total land allocated to pasture was used for cropping [10].”

In the same region, in 2000, Walker et al. found that small producers had increased the average number of animals to 33, which required an average of 37 hectares of pastureland.

“In the same region, in 2000, Walker et al. found that small producers had increased the average number of animals to 33, which required an average of 37 hectares of pastureland [10].”

Recent ethnographic studies across the basin suggest that smallholders are shifting from subsistence agriculture to a pasture-based farming system.

“Such findings mirror recent ethnographic studies across the basin, suggesting that smallholders are shifting from subsistence agriculture to a pasture-based farming system [10,25,26].”