Brazil Farming Revolution

I found an article from Scientific American magazine that caught my eye for this assignment. In summary, the article talks about a new method of farming and cattle raising in Brazil that is intended to greatly reduce the practice of slash and burn by using a method that requires less land. Brazilian farmers and cattle ranchers are trying to decrease the need for more land by diversifying production and feeding their cattle grain instead of grass. The plan would be to convert existing pasture to corn production. Historically, the Amazon has been destroyed by slash and burn methods to clear out land for cattle to graze. This new method of diversifying production however would decrease the environmental impact of the cattle industry by slowing the destruction of the Amazon.

a) This is an effective form of action because there is incentive for the farmers to use this technique and use less land more efficiently. In the article, a farmer talks about how with this new method, they can earn more money and raise more cattle on less land while simultaneously helping the environment.

b) This action comes from civil society because farmers must decide to reduce the size of their pastureland and begin growing grain to add to the diet of their cattle. As of now there are no official government mandates calling for all ranchers to use this new method.

c) Yes. This action is replicable because it has already been used in the United States and Europe where cattle are fed grain.

d) I know that this solution is not a perfect one to address the destruction of the Amazon, but I think that it is a step in the right direction. Finally people are beginning to think about how to reign in the cutting down of trees and thinking of ways to use land more efficiently. I hope that this step is the first of many to make an impact on the environment, and as time passes people will come up with even better and more efficient methods to make cattle ranching take less of a toll on the environment.