Title : Pasture degradation as a driver of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon
Abstract:
Pasture degradation is a problem of concern in all tropical countries of the world, because the production of cattle for the purpose of obtaining animal protein for the human diet has been rampant, affecting thousands of ecosystems, reducing the water needed by humanity itself and emitting greenhouse gases because of the inadequate management of the systems created. The main cause of this problem is the poor management of grazing, which generates unsustainability in the supply of fodder for livestock, leading to a loss of cover that is reflected in reductions in their carrying capacity, which is aggravated by the unconsciousness of the owners of the land, who prefer to deforest more areas of tropical forest than to dedicate efforts to recover the areas already destroyed by their unsustainable interest. The aim of the paper is to present the definition of pasture degradation, its causes, consequences and reduction measures, mentioning the need for strong state policies in tropical countries that allow stopping deforestation and force the livestock sector to be more efficient on their underutilized lands to reduce the continued destruction of forests, as is happening in the Colombian Amazon.
