Cattle farming in Brazil and Latin America is predominantly extensive, with herds raised on large pasturelands. Although this system offers animals more freedom than intensive production (factory farming), it does not necessarily ensure their welfare. Livestock often suffer from nutritional deficiencies, thermal stress, and poor management. Moreover, the activity has serious environmental impacts, including deforestation, soil degradation, and loss of local biodiversity, while also showing low productivity and limited climate resilience.
Between 1985 and 2024, more than 3 million hectares of wetlands were converted into pasture. According to the Climate Observatory, cattle are responsible for 17% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions, as enteric fermentation, the digestion of plant material in ruminant stomachs, releases large amounts of methane.
An article published in the Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural points to ways of transforming livestock farming into a more sustainable activity, reducing its harmful effects. The study was conducted by researchers from the Josué de Castro Chair of Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems at USP’s School of Public Health (FSP) and the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR).
