The impact of informal and expansive activities in the Peruvian Amazon is undeniable, and they are leaving a clear mark on climate change, biodiversity, local communities and food security. Worryingly, according to MINAM (2023), 47.9% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that affect the country come from deforestation, largely driven by agricultural activities. In this sense, a productive reconversion of Amazonian cattle ranching towards regenerative and deforestation-free systems will contribute to the restoration of ecosystems and, in turn, improve the quality and competitiveness of Amazonian cattle ranching.

Under the traditional development model in the Peruvian Amazon, cattle ranching is generally extensive, generating significant pressure on the forests. In the case of Madre de Dios, a region that makes up approximately 15.3% of the Amazon in Peru, it is estimated that more than 50,000 hectares are dedicated to extensive cattle ranching. This activity is one of the main causes of deforestation and GHG emissions (GOREMAD, 2021). Alarmingly, in the south of this region, the impact of agricultural expansion exceeded that of gold mining in 2021.

Being aware of this problem, the Alliance for a Regenerative Livestock in the Peruvian Amazon (AGRAP for its Spanish Initials), an initiative within the framework of the Coalition for Sustainable Production, with the support of WWF, The Climate Group, Conservation International, Proforest and Tropical Forest Alliance, organized the seminar 'Sustainable Livestock in the Peruvian Amazon'. The objective of the event was to promote the benefits and potential of regenerative livestock, as well as other sustainable tropical livestock models, and to exchange information and results between regional governments of the Amazon.

During the event, the challenges faced by communities in the Amazon were highlighted. “Rural communities in the Amazon are already facing the effects of climate change, but they face additional challenges such as transportation, access to energy, etc., and 8 billion people today depend on these rural communities. So, the synergy that we see in this event is essential if we want to live in a world with a stable climate and enough food for everyone,” said Maggie Charnley, director of the International Forestry Unit of the Embassy of the United Kingdom.

The event brought together prominent allies such as UKPACT, the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), representatives of the member regions of the Amazon Regional Commonwealth, the British Embassy, civil society organizations such as Proforest , Conservation International, representatives of academia, livestock producers and international donors.

Among the experts, there was a presentation by Alfred Fast, president of the Paraguayan Roundtable on Sustainable Meat, who presented the case of the livestock sector in Paraguay. “It is necessary to work together and see how we can work on sustainability, always balancing the economic, social and environmental aspects. We need to communicate what is done well and disseminate successful models in which sustainable change is the result of a process where we respect the environment and animal welfare, and still earn money,” Fast mentioned during the event. There were also representatives from Bolivia, Colombia, as well as national actors (producers, freezing facilities, regional governments and the national government).

During this afternoon, a meeting was held between the representatives of the member regions of the Amazon Regional Commonwealth, MIDAGRI and other members of AGRAP, to define inputs for an action plan in order to develop a more competitive and sustainable production chain. Activities around key aspects such as productive improvement, market development, traceability, enabling conditions, monitoring and knowledge management in the industry were prioritized.

The event also held the official launch of the Alliance for a Regenerative Livestock in the Peruvian Amazon, with the aim of improving quality and sustainability (e.g. through regenerative attributes and deforestation-free production); recognizing the potential and dynamics of the landscape where the activity is carried out and promoting the improvement of the well-being of the local producer and the productive chain.

Original version in Spanish

© Samanta Jiménez / WWF-Perú
 

© Samanta Jiménez / WWF-Perú