BRAZIL, Brazil (AP) — The removal of numerous cattle unlawfully raised on public land intended for sustainable forest use in Brazil’s Amazon has ignited protests and polarized local residents. Rubber tapping is one method that some are advocating to combine with Brazilian nut harvesting and livestock agriculture.
This removal action was undertaken by one of the country’s prominent Amazon protection units last week, namely the Chico Mendes Extract Reserve, named after the renowned rubber tapper and environmentalist who was assassinated in 1988. Federal agents, collaborating with police and military officials, have confiscated approximately 400 cattle from two farmers who did not comply with a judicial eviction order. The operation is expected to continue in the upcoming weeks.
However, a number of residents from the reserve have protested the legal actions, attempting to barricade the city of Xapuri to impede the cattle removal. The first truck carrying 20 cows had to take a different route to avoid clashes.
The protests, supported by local politicians, held strong symbolism as Xapuri is the location where Mendes was killed, contrasting sharply with the 1980s when rubber tappers resisted cattle ranchers.
Rubber trees are available for rubber removal at Acre State University, Brazil, Acre State University (AP Photo/Moraldo Perez, File)
The cattle removal was executed in response to a deforestation surge of 56% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The cleared area is nearly five times larger than Central Park in New York City, and the reserve is home to approximately 140,000 cows.
“The surveillance has identified environmental crimes linked to large cattle ranches, which are primarily illegal as they breach protected area regulations,” stated the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, known as ICMBIO.
The Chico Mendes Reserve is one of several Amazon extraction reserves where forest communities can engage in low-impact extraction activities while promoting conservation among land developers. The regulations limit deforestation to small-scale cattle breeding and agriculture, while land sales are strictly prohibited. However, the Chico Mendes Reserve is recognized as Brazil’s most deforested federal conservation unit.
“Working to find a solution”
The current predicament has intensified over the four years under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who held office until 2022. During this period, deforestation surged in the reserve. Bolsonaro undermined environmental protections, claiming there are too many reserves in the Amazon. Some Chico Mendes residents began illegally selling land parcels to farmers, expecting that this would eventually lead to legalization.
A strong reaction to the removal operation led to the establishment of a WhatsApp group with approximately 1,000 members, wherein some members issued threats against Raimundo Mendes de Barros, a cousin and political heir of Chico Mendes, who opposes the expansion of cattle ranching. Nevertheless, the historic organization sanctioned the cattle removal, including the National Extractist Population Council, which issued supportive statements regarding the operation.
Cleisson Monteiro, president of the Residents and Growers Association of Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Xapuri, voiced his support for the protest against cattle removal. He mentioned that while deforestation needs addressing, federal agents have instilled anger and fear among families not fully complying with all reserve rules.
The area where the raid commenced, known as Seringal Nova Esperança, “no longer features a traditional rubber-tapper profile,” Monteiro stated. “The local population leads different lifestyles. They are farmers engaged in small-scale family farming, alongside beef and dairy ranchers.”
Monteiro indicated that roughly 140 families reside in Nova Esperança, including himself, each having varying degrees of non-compliance with the reserve’s regulations. He expressed concerns that the operation would impact other families, even if only two individuals were directly targeted.
“ICMBIO should have refrained from acting at this time, as we are striving to find a solution,” he remarked.
“The forest cannot compete.”
The reserve comprises about 4,000 families. Approximately 900 families produce rubber for the French shoe company, Veja. Although the project has proven successful, demand is insufficient to fully absorb the production capabilities within the reserve.
Jeffrey Hoell, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has studied this area for 20 years and pointed out that cattle farming is more economically advantageous for residents compared to traditional harvesting methods for rubber and nuts from the forest.
“Two decades ago, rubber tappers were just starting to adopt cattle, and over the years, this practice has gained popularity,” Hoell stated. “Over time, it becomes more accepted. Ultimately, forests cannot compete with cattle in terms of economic value. The extent to which rubber and Brazilian nuts can provide is indeed limited compared to cattle.”
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Source: apnews.com