Land Use Change & Food Systems in South America
Document Type
Book
Files
Publication Date
Fall 9-17-2024
Description
Due to different conservation laws in the Amazon and Cerrado, the Cerrado has become a “sacrifice zone” for deforestation, and between 1985 and 2023, 39 million hectares were deforested. While 43% of plant species are found only in the Cerrado Biome, it is the most unprotected savanna in the world. The greatest threat to the biome is the expansion of croplands, especially soy. This interdisciplinary discussion combined various professional perspectives to investigate the socioeconomic and environmental factors influencing land-use transitions in the Cerrado Biome. Panelists discussed their research on various methods to increase agricultural production to meet global food needs while not negatively impacting native species. Researchers identified trends in land characteristics and the driving factors of agricultural expansion and abandonment, presenting their findings in a range of models, heat-maps, and correlation graphs. Panelists explored current and future solutions, such as Brazil’s Forrest Code (Environmental Law) and the Cerrado de Pe association, which was started in 2017 to provide seeds for restoration projects in the Chapada dos Veadeiros region and has led to the restoration of 90 hectares.
City
Burlington, Vermont
Keywords
Conservation laws, Cerredo Biome, deforestation, land use transitions, food systems, agricultural expansion, agricultural abandonment, land restoration
Recommended Citation
Galford, Gillian; Sperra, Stephanie; Macedo, Marcia; and Rattis, Ludmila, "Land Use Change & Food Systems in South America" (2024). Food Systems Summit 2024. 20.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fss2024/20
