Productive changes in Brazilian Pampa: impacts, vulnerabilities and coping strategies

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate to what extent the expansion of both soybean cultivation and forestry plantation (tree plantations) over the Pampa biome in southern Brazil may represent a situation of vulnerability for cattle farmers who traditionally occupy these lands. The study sought to determine the impacts of these activities on the farmers’ livelihoods, as well as the coping and adaptation strategies adopted by these farmers to deal with such impacts. During field research, 60 livestock farmers were interviewed, 22% of whom consider soybeans a vulnerability, revealing a contentious and controversial scenario that divides perceptions about this activity. On the other hand, forestry plantation is considered a vulnerability by 82% of the interviewed livestock farmers, being interpreted as a threat to the reproduction of livestock farming.