Families transform livestock farming to protect biodiversity in Madre de Dios

In Madre de Dios, one of the regions most affected by deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon, an alternative for sustainable development aimed at the recovery of soils and biodiversity has emerged. Since 2020, around 250 cattle-raising families have decided to transform their productive practices and opt for regenerative cattle farming, a model that seeks to increase productivity without sacrificing the forest or animal welfare. The change is not minor. According to the report Deforestation, land use change, and illegal activities in the Peruvian Amazon (2001-2023), prepared by FCDS Peru, the country lost more than 3.05 million hectares of humid Amazonian forest during that period, of which 322,000 hectares correspond to Madre de Dios. Traditional cattle farming is among the main causes of this environmental deterioration. But what makes regenerative cattle farming different? The families have begun to apply four principles aimed at returning life to the soil and the forest. The ...