Cattle near Governador Indigenous territory, Maranhão State, in June 2018. The Pyhcop Catiji Indigenous people protect a remnant of Amazon rainforest surrounded by cattle ranches, mostly devoid of trees. (Photo: Human Rights Watch)
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon continues at alarming rates, fueled largely by cattle ranching, according to recent reports from Climate Rights International (CRI) and Greenpeace Brazil. The ongoing forest loss threatens Indigenous communities, biodiversity, and global climate stability.
CRI’s October 2025 report, Before It’s Too Late: Curbing Cattle‑Driven Deforestation and Rights Abuses in Brazil, found that cattle ranching accounted for an estimated 93 percent of forest loss in the Amazon biome between 2008 and 2021. During this period, roughly 120,000 km² of forest—an area the size of Pennsylvania—was cleared for pasture.
Indigenous leader Maurício Krikati described the impact on his community. “We used to live from fishing and hunting. Today, when we go to hunt, there’s only cattle, cattle raising, pasture.”
Cattle Laundering
Greenpeace Brazil has documented practices known as “cattle laundering,” where animals raised illegally on Indigenous or protected lands are transferred to legally cleared ranches before being sold to major meat-processing companies, including JBS S.A.
Investigations show that from 2018 to 2024, cattle from embargoed areas such as Pequizal do Naruvôtu Indigenous Territory were sold to JBS slaughterhouses authorized to export to Europe and Asia, bypassing legal protections.
The environmental consequences are significant. Forest loss diminishes the Amazon’s capacity to absorb carbon, accelerates greenhouse gas emissions, and increases the risk of fires and soil degradation. Social consequences include the displacement of Indigenous communities, loss of traditional livelihoods, and increased land conflicts.
© WWF (Adapted from Nepstad, 2008)
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Brazilian environmental agency IBAMA has begun taking action. In late 2024, the agency fined 23 meatpacking companies, including JBS, a total of US$64 million for buying cattle from illegally deforested areas in Pará and Amazonas. In August 2025, IBAMA opened further investigations into 12 slaughterhouses accused of sourcing cattle from deforested land via intermediary ranches. (reuters.com)
Experts warn that corporate zero-deforestation pledges are not sufficient without full supply chain traceability. Luciana Téllez Chávez, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted:
“Without tracing the indirect suppliers, companies cannot guarantee deforestation-free beef.
Impact to Brazil Forest
The impact extends beyond Brazil. Greenpeace reports link beef potentially sourced from illegal deforestation to export markets including Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, China, and Japan.
CRI emphasizes that while forest conservation policies once reduced deforestation, recent years show a reversal, with annual rates more than doubling by 2022. Experts say urgent action is needed from companies, regulators, and consumers to halt illegal deforestation, enforce accountability, and protect Indigenous rights.
“Cattle ranching remains the single largest driver of deforestation in the Amazon,” CRI’s report concludes. “Without immediate measures to enforce the law and ensure full traceability, both the forest and its communities are at risk of irreversible damage.” (Sulung Prasetyo)
