Development or Destruction: The Conversion of Tropical Forest to Pasture in Latin America

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study focuses on the effects of forest destruction in Latin America, caused by the expansion of cattle production into these seemingly under-utilized areas. The high ecological and social costs are analyzed from the perspective of several disciplines, including anthropology, animal science, the environmental sciences, forestry and natural resource economics. The contributors explore the dynamics of cattle production, its social and environmental effects and the alternatives to pasture conversions. The book is intended for anyone concerned with this rapidly vanishing ecosystem.