There are several destructive practices that can be attributed as the causes of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
First of all, Butler (2017) believe that cattle ranching is the major cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Since 1970, the Amazon rainforest has cleared to create room for cattle ranching, especially in Brazil. As was reported by Butler (2017), the percentage of destruction of forest owing to cattle ranching is 65-70% in 2000-2005. The next few years, the clearance area in Brazil for cattle ranching was reduced, yet in are such as Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, cattle ranching still be the major problem of forest loss. Most of the products of cattle ranching were destined for local markets and other products were for export markets. For example, beef was traded for urban markets while leather and other products were export. The opening land for extensive cattle ranching also forces small farmers to move and create their new land to sustain themselves (WWF, 2018). The second major cause of the deforestation is the spread out of small-scale agriculture and large-scale agriculture or also known as commercial agriculture.
Many of the small farmers at the Amazon is facilitated by the government in order to improve their urban markets. For instance, the government constructed trans Amazonia Highway for about 2,000- mile so that the distribution of products from small-scale agriculture or subsistence farming to the markets would be easier. However, due to the poor planning, that project was unsuccessful since it was begun. As the consequence, when heavy rains the area was flooded, there was blocking traffic and the highway became unstable. In addition to the agriculture issue, the commercial agriculture also contributes negative impact on the environment of Amazonia.
Wide lands ware cleared to create extensive agriculture area to plant some agricultural plants that have high prices such as soybean, coffee, cotton, palms, wheat, corn, rice, and sugar. All those plants likelihood would not have the ability to prevent soil from erosion when heavy rain occurs (Butler, 2017). The next cause is the common form of deforestation which is illegal logging and unsustainable natural resources extraction. Even though every country has their own laws to maintain production and trade of wood, some people still commit illegal logging. One reason for commit illegal cutting in the Amazon is to build a road. Unsustainable gold mining and oil exploration also can be classified as one of the causes of deforestation. The waste products from both of them that contain harmful chemicals for the environment are flowed to the land or into a river (Butler, 2017).?
