Information on amazons agricultural development ?

Question

Information on amazons agricultural development ?

Answer 1

It is my understanding that there have been a number of programs over a number of years, many recently in light of the biodiversity and climate issues, and in recognition of the importance of old growth forest and rain forest. The problems came to light some years ago as the "slash and burn" farming of the area was consuming massive acreage of Amazon forest in short farming planting cycles of poor jungle soil only to move on to burn more the next cycle and abandon the now ruined areas. Economically the farmer needed to do this to produce a crop and support their family. The countries had little or no legislation and little ability/ desire to prevent the farmer from illegal activity. The farmer also did not have a good knowledge base to build and maintain a farm, nor incentive to learn how to manage the soil and develop a sustainable farm project that will not only produce year after year but become better year after year.

Countries both on the American continent and Eurasian continent have spent a lot of time, money, and resources to protect the fragile environment of the area, as well as aid the farmer, economically as well as with expert assistance and lobbyists in their political system (as well as that of assistant countries) in an effort to effect change to benefit all. Look at OECD, TARDA, MEDCo, GEIDA, and the Coffee and Cocoa Industry Board for some info on what is going on now.

Answer 2

The vast and remote Brazilian territory described as the “Legal Amazon” encompasses over five million square kilometers, or nearly 60 percent of the nation’s total land area.  It is a region of global environmental importance with uniquely diverse and invaluable natural ecosystems, including one of the world’s largest tropical rainforests and extensive savannahs called “Cerrado.”  It is also home to a significant and growing portion of Brazil’s agricultural economy, including 31 percent of the nation’s pasture, 30 percent of its beef cattle herd, 21 percent of its total agricultural land, and 27 percent of its cultivated soybean acreage.  Despite its remote location and the relative lack of physical and economic development, the Amazon region is already an important agricultural zone in Brazil.  As a follow-up to our earlier investigations concerning the outlook for agricultural expansion, (http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad2/highlight... USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has been evaluating the status of agriculture in the remote frontiers of the Legal Amazon to help determine the potential for soybean cultivation in the region.

Brazil’s cultivated soybean area has nearly doubled in the last decade, rising from 11.7 million hectares in 1994 to 21.0 million in 2003.  This phenomenal expansion was driven largely by external demand, as world consumption of soybeans and soybean products rose by 52 percent or nearly 70 million tons during this time.  The combination of attractive soybean export prices, ample supply of public and private agricultural financing, and the ready availability of vast tracts of relatively inexpensive arable land catalyzed explosive growth in commercial soybean farming across Brazil – with some of the highest growth rates currently occurring in the frontier states encompassing the Legal Amazon.  As discovered elsewhere in Brazil, it is apparent that there is enormous potential for continued growth in soybean cultivation in the Amazon region and that there are few natural limits to future expansion which cannot be overcome by astute planning, research, and adequate investment capital.  It is conservatively estimated that cultivated soybean acreage in the region could increase by more than 40 million hectares through the conversion of existing pasture and native savannah lands, and that even greater acreage would be available in the future should current Amazonian deforestation trends continue.  In fact, pioneering commercial farmers are already making inroads in converting frontier cattle ranches to soybean farms in remote tropical areas of northeastern Mato Grosso and southeastern Para where enormous pasture resources exist and land prices are favorably low.  These efforts are being supported by the country’s national agricultural research institute, Embrapa, which is actively experimenting with farming systems and crop varieties in these areas with plans to foster sustainable commercial farming enterprises.  FAS expects this pattern of land conversion and expansion of the soybean crop to be sustained in the Legal Amazon over the next few decades as world demand for soybeans continues to rise, the agricultural export economy grows, and major highways are improved – lowering costs and granting access to greater amounts of arable land.  The inevitable and unfortunate side-effect of this expansion, and the wealth it will generate, will be considerable pressure on the Amazon rainforest and continued high rates of deforestation.  Unless the Brazilian government radically expands the number and size of federal forest preserves and severely restricts further penetration of the Amazon region by cattle ranchers, deforestation rates will remain high, pasture acreage will continue to grow, and the opportunity for expanded soybean cultivation in the region will increase.