In a recent article by The New York Times, the rain forest in Brazil is on fire. Seen by many organizations, from local government to environmental activists, as a terrible disaster there is one group who sees it quite different. That would be the ranchers who set it on fire to make room for more grazing land for their cattle herds.
This is not a new event, though it may shock many. The Yale School of Forestry says that nearly 174,000 square miles of the forest have been converted to allow better pasturing over many decades. This number is why many blame cattle ranchers for roughly 80% of the Amazon’s deforestation.
Some may ask why such an act isn’t illegal. Well it actually is, however no one enforces the law, and if fines are handed out they are rarely paid. This makes it quite easy for ranchers to commit this crime, as the rewards are quite high. While burning the Amazon rain forest is seen as terrible, it is unfortunately a much more complicated issue. Miguel Pereira does not like the smoke from the fires either but has a different perspective from many. “If you only protect the environment, then the farmers will go under from all the pressure of their expenses…if you can’t deforest a little, then there is no way you can raise more cattle. You need to create a situation where it’s good for both sides.”
While the enforcement of laws around illegal burning are not readily enforced, there are some consequences to ranchers actions. Brazil’s three largest meatpackers have all committed to not buying cattle directly from farms using illegally deforested areas. However, a rancher can simply sell his illegally raised cattle to a farm that is abiding by Brazilian law and the meatpackers would not be able to tell the difference.
Even though many ranchers disagree with the laws on illegal burning, they are indeed aware of the damage they’re causing, and say they are starting to see the effects of the burning. “We live off trees and the weather is getting hotter because there are fewer trees,” said cowhand Luis Rodriguez who also noted that his cattle are suffering due to it being dryer as well.
To conclude, this is a difficult situation. Burning the Amazon is a terrible act, but if someone needs to commit it to ensure the survival of them and their family, is it justified? Should the Brazilian government do a better job of enforcing the protections of the rain forest at the cost of a family losing their livelihood? How do you compare the value of a human life to the value of a unique aspect of nature that when lost, will never recovered?