Day 241 - 26 Apr 96 - Page 49


     
     1        disputes and dispossession both from soya and cattle as the
     2        main reason for migration.
     3
     4        "Sourcing slaughterhouses.
     5
     6        The main slaughterhouses of Mato Grosso are supplied by the
     7        larger ranches in the 'beef shed' which without question
     8        have cleared forms of primary tropical forest for pasture.
     9        The Cuiaba abattoirs derive their animals from ranches in
    10        Pantanal, from the savanna, and from the savanna forest
    11        margin areas where forest has been converted.  Moreover, as
    12        the main conduit to southern Brazil, the Cuiaba abattoirs
    13        also serve animals derived from Rondonia, which is beef
    14        quite clearly raised from former rainforest zones, (for
    15        example, Ponta de Lacerda).
    16
    17        "In addition, cow-calf operations in Rondonia can supply
    18        the closer in fattening operations nearer to Cuiaba.
    19        Cuiaba lies at the interface of several different kinds of
    20        cattle economies, and there is no question that some of the
    21        animals slaughtered there are from converted forest areas.
    22        The late 1970s and early 1980s were periods of explosive
    23        expansion of the livestock frontier in these regions.
    24
    25        "I have read the supplementary statement of Mr. Morganti.
    26        SINOP is clearly located within the southern Amazonia
    27        forest mosaic.  Nova Xavantina also lies within this forest
    28        mosaic.  Having done research in this specific area, I can
    29        confirm that these regions embraced large areas of forest,
    30        which have been largely incinerated by the ranching
    31        industry.
    32
    33        "Queries were put to me, so here are the responses:
    34
    35        "On page 280 of my book Fate of the Forest, I describe the
    36        dynamics of forest conversion in Amazonia.  This pattern of
    37        alteration continues.
    38
    39        "54/55", I think that is the page reference.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, I think they are pages which were disclosed,
    42        as far as I recall.
    43
    44   MS. STEEL:   We could give copies of those specific pages if you
    45        want them.  "Bordon had ranches in Acre in the mid 1980s
    46        which was the site of a very famous rubber tapper versus
    47        ranching show down, as well as a very large ranch funded
    48        with fiscal incentives in Barra de Garcas, which cleared
    49        various forest types as well as using natural grasslands.
    50        The Bordon ranches in Acre were the site of major land 
    51        conflicts and rainforest clearing. 
    52 
    53        "My conclusions are based on my 20 years of research field
    54        work in Amazonian and tropical land use and their
    55        consequences.  The optimistic market forecasts and the real
    56        growth of the demand for cutter beef for processed and
    57        fast-foods, which McDonald's as the world's largest
    58        consumer and promoter of beef products stimulated, are an
    59        essential part of the impetus to large scale deforestation
    60        and its biotic and social consequences".  Signed:  "Susanna

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