USAID's $40M pledge to save the Amazon

Nov 18, 2024
By Farms.com

Funds aim to shield millions of hectares

During the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, an announcement from the President marked a significant commitment by USAID to the Brazilian Amazon. With a pledge of nearly $40 million, USAID aims to protect over 42 million hectares of forest and Indigenous lands.

The funds are designated for a range of activities across the Brazilian Amazon's nine states. These include enhancing forest fire management techniques, fostering regenerative agricultural practices in high-deforestation risk areas, and improving land use management in Indigenous territories.

Additionally, the initiatives will strengthen local bioeconomy value chains, ensuring that economic growth does not come at the expense of environmental degradation.

This strategic investment is expected to catalyze further contributions from U.S. philanthropic organizations and the private sector, aiming to create a robust economic system that harmonizes economic development with conservation efforts.

The announcement underscores more than three decades of partnership aimed at safeguarding the Amazon rainforest.

Through collaborative efforts with the Brazilian government and various stakeholders, USAID continues to support Brazil's environmental and social objectives, promoting a sustainable future for one of the planet's most vital ecosystems.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.