1. Groups Interested in the Rainforest

2. Native Amazonians Came to rainforest 12,000 years ago
Use it to hunt, fish, and grow crops
WANT: the government to make them the legal owners of their homelands. They believe they use the land and resources responsibly.

3. Rubber Tappers
Came to Amazon in the 1870s to work on rubber tree plantations.
Remove sap from rubber trees by making cuts in the bark, which does not harm the trees.
WANT: to continue making a living by tapping rubber. Clearing all trees must stop! They believe they use the resources in a sustainable way.

4. Loggers Began moving into the Amazon in the 1960s.
Cut down trees for valuable hardwoods to make furniture or lumber to make paper.
WANT: to continue clear-cutting in the rainforest. They provide jobs for thousands in Brazil. It helps the economy of Brazil.

5. Settlers
Brazilian government began encouraging poor people to move to the Amazon rainforest in the 1960s
These settlers cleared the land and used it for farming.
WANT: rainforest land to farm so they can feed their families. There is no land for them in other parts of the country. They need this land to survive.

6. Cattle Ranchers Came to Amazon in 1960s.
Use cleared land for grazing their cattle. Cattle eat the grass down to the dirt and then moved to a new area.
WANT: Large areas of rainforest land for cattle ranching. Cattle raised help feed people in Brazil. Beef exports help the Brazilian economy.

7. Environmental Groups
Scientists and environmentalist started coming to the rainforest in the 1970s.
Use the rainforest to study plants and wildlife. Hope to find cures for diseases. Some work with native people.
WANT: to protect the biodiversity of the rainforest by slowing down deforestation and development. Once they are gone they are gone forever.