Beef Production—Rainforest Deforestation to Raise Beef Cattle
This phenomenon is why the press has linked rainforest destruction to beef production. In the 1970s, Brazil’s military government offered a subsidy to help “populate its frontiers” for national security. Because of this ill-advised Brazilian government subsidy, part of the Amazon rainforest was cleared for farmland in the 1970s and 1980s.[8] However, because grasses grown on rainforest soil make such poor cattle pasture, the subsidy was paid on only 1.5 percent of the Amazon’s rainforest area over a period of 16 years. When the subsidy ended, the rate of deforestation in the Amazon slowed. Unfortunately, population growth and the need for modernization exert pressure on the Brazilian government to allow infrastructure improvements which may result in continued deforestation.
In places like Central America, cattle are being raised on land that formerly supported rainforests. Virtually all of this land was cleared for crops, but then was unable to support cropping. The already-cleared land was converted to pasture for cattle grazing. Rainforest deforestation to raise beef cattle was not deliberate or specifically meant to satisfy the beef requirements of American consumers.
Is there a relationship between beef production, U.S. beef consumption and rainforest deforestation to raise beef cattle? Simply put—No. Less than 1% of the total U.S. beef supply in 2001 was imported from “rainforest countries,” i.e., South and Central America. The largest fast-food chains in the United States have long had policies against buying beef from rainforest countries because they do not agree with rainforest deforestation to raise beef cattle. By no means is it necessary for cattle to graze deforested tropical land to meet the needs of American consumers.
Amazon Rainforest Deforestation | U.S. Beef Consumption
Tropical Deforestation | Causes of Rainforest Deforestation
Beef Production | Rainforest Deforestation to Raise Beef Cattle
Amazon Deforestation | Rainforest Preservation | Solutions to Rainforest Deforestation
