1. Why such a tremendous expansion of cattle ranching in the Amazon? The Eastern Brazilian Amazon case (Para State) Jonas Bastos da Veiga (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental) Marie Gabrielle Piketty (CIRAD/USP_FEA/PROCAM) Jean François Tourrand (CIRAD/UNB_CDS) René Poccard-Chapuis (CIRAD) Ailce Margarida N. Alves (UFPA _Maraba) Marcelo Thales (MPEG)

2. Cattle ranching in the Amazon Livestock expansion as a major drive force of deforestation in several Amazon countries Clear relationship between pasture management pressure on forests? “Pecuarizacão” in the Brazilian Amazon and a record expansion (90 %) Not observed in Peru and Ecuador  Comparative study :  What are common direct and underlying factors explaining the expansion of cattle ranching in contrasting agro- ecological and socio-economic contexts

3. Cattle Yes No Pasture Managt Yes No Deforestation Other activities Decision 1: Why do farmers choose cattle ranching? Decision 2: Why do farmers choose specific pasture management? Decision 3: Why do farmers deforest or not new areas? Conceptual framework

4. cattle Yes No Pasture Mgt Yes No Defor. Other activities Decision 1 Decision 2Decision 3 “ Proximate factors” Local / regional underlying factors National underlying factors International underlying factors Conceptual framework

5. Methodology  Critical contexts analysis with particular emphasis on livestock production and marketing chains  Identification of critical landholder types and their key- informants to be surveyed  “Interactive interview”  Hypothesis: the key-informant knows better than the interviewer the complexity / meaning of the situation  Directed conversation based on semi-structured interview  3-5 researchers – interdisciplinary teams  Redundancy principle  Team work in recording and interpreting data

6. Critical contexts in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon Uruará Bragantina Sul do Pará

7. Decision 1: Why do farmers choose cattle ranching?

8. Market and market chains Market and market chains  Strong market for livestock final products (meat and milk) (96%)  Livestock production and marketing chains in the Para State  Weak market for other products (46%)  Perennial crops  Transport (Transamazon)

9. Microeconomics  Cattle returns are secure, even if they remain small (96%)  Risk issue (demand, price, diseases...) → Saving / liquidity (97%)  Good milk return (smallholders)  Good investment for other income sources (investments from other sectors)

10. Technical factors  Good agro ecological condition (83%)  rain, no long dry season, no low temperature => good for forage production  Efficiency of the available technology (79%)  Braquiarão grass pasture (Brachiaria brizantha)  Easy access to livestock technology (79%)

12. Socio-cultural factors  Tradition and past experience in cattle ranching (79%)  The “fazendeiro” myth and social position issue less important that what was initially thought

13. Policy issues (1) Cattle ranching security is a major determinant, based on cattle production and marketing chains features  This security does not exist for alternatives that may increase income per hectare of cleared land (risk: price and yield fluctuations, no consolidated demand...) › Policies aimed at reducing these risk may promote other land- use alternatives: Price stabilization Financing local agro processing factories Technical assistance on the prevention of yield fluctuations

14. Policy issues (2)  The Amazon, at least the Eastern part, presents strong comparative advantage for livestock among Brazilian regions  › Without taking account for environmental externalities, cattle ranching investment in Pará is completely rational  How comparative advantages could be maintained with less environmental externalities?  Tree plantations in pasture systems  Adding a value to products based on legal deforestation? (certification)

15. Policy issues (3)  Cattle ranching and smallholders Income security: milk and meat However, it is hard to increase income without increasing the property area (more deforestation) Which means that a “successful” smallholder may turn a large landholder in the middle-long term › Necessary to increase the value of small areas, keeping the cattle ranching advantage (security):  Sylvo-pasture systems  Low impact logging of the forest reserves (common management)  Financial compensation for forest reserve conservation

16. Policy issues (4)  Preconditions for any of these alternatives  Land tenure regulation  Good quality infrastructure  Experience or training of the actors

17. Conclusion for further research in human dimensions linked with cattle ranching  Socio-environmental certification of cattle ranching (how to design and to develop)  Possible scenarios when foreign markets will be opened to Amazon livestock products  How financial compensation should be designed to promote forest conservation or systems with less environmental damage (ex: CDM, proambiente)? How to match it with the farmer objectives and to avoid negative impacts on regional development?