This article highlights the direct link between fast growing beef consumption, deforestation in the Amazon, and the legacy of the recent Brazilian dictatorship, which is responsible for most of the devastation in this region. In answer to the title's question, the article argues that deforestation will continue as long as extensive cattle ranching remains as the major driving force. It also discusses the different reasons that justify cattle ranching in the Amazon, why such an astounding expansion took place in the last 50 years, why the Amazon is still an open pioneer frontier as well as why land zoning definition is so important. The article evaluates the causes related to the low productivity of cattle ranching in the Amazon and recommends a series of combined public policies, including land zoning, rural assistance and specific tax policies. Finally, the article argues that only a new Brazilian understanding of the Amazon region may lead to respect for its inhabitants and to preservation of its tropical forests for the coming generations.
Cattle ranching; Consumption; Deforestation; Amazon; Tropical rainforests; Climate change
