Last week at a Climate Week event organized by Sentient Media, I was asked to share an example of Mongabay’s reporting on an animal welfare issue. I spoke about an investigation into cattle ranching.
The background: Cattle ranching is the single largest direct driver of deforestation in the tropics, responsible for 70–80% of forest clearing in the Amazon. Beyond the roughly 80 million head of cattle in the Brazilian Amazon, deforestation destroys the habitat of countless other species. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing local temperatures and disrupting regional rainfall patterns.
Because of this outsized footprint, Mongabay produces extensive reporting on cattle ranching in the Amazon. Just last week, Karla Mendes, one of our reporters in Brazil, won the Oakes Award from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism for an investigation into illegal cattle ranching on Arariboia Indigenous lands. Her reporting revealed a pattern of targeted killings of the Guajajara amid the expansion of illegal cattle ranching and logging. The story’s reach was amplified through partnerships with Brazilian media outlets.
This investigation prompted a government operation that removed thousands of illegally grazed cattle from the Arariboia Indigenous Territory. It also spurred authorities to help the community secure the boundaries of their land.
Karla’s investigation is one of many stories on cattle ranching. You can see more English-language reporting here.
