The link between cattle slaughterhouses and the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon

[Judi Lynn]

Most of the deforestation in the region is connected to just 128 slaughterhouses.
an hour ago
Eduardo Pegurier


Satellites are mechanical reporters of the Amazon deforestation process. By documenting the degradation and gaps created by the clear-cutting process over the years, they deliver the verdict: two-thirds of the Amazon’s deforested area has been turned into pastures.

From the ground, the cattle count reveals that the Amazon is home to more cattle than people. By 2016, the region’s cattle numbers amounted to 85 million, compared to a human population of 25 million – more than three cows per person. In the city of São Félix do Xingu, which contains the largest herd in Brazil, this proportion reaches 18 cows to 1 person.

The Brazilian Amazon covers 61% of the nation’s territory and harbors 40% of the national herd. Cattle are kept on about 400,000 farms and ranches that range in size from a few to tens of thousands of hectares.

So when the NGO Imazon finished a new and detailed survey on the region’s slaughterhouses, they received a major surprise: they found that just 128 active slaughterhouses belonging to 99 companies were responsible for 93% percent of the annual slaughter – close to 12 million.

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https://scroll.in/article/845434/the-link-between-cattle-slaughterhouses-and-the-deforestation-of-the-brazilian-amazon