Global environmental change is a pressing challenge for the 21st century, and scientists have identified tropical deforestation as one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. International concern for the environment is reflected in the many summits designed to bring together world leaders and civil society, such as Rio +20, as well as multinational programs like the United Nations Program to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+). Likewise, environmental concern is central to Brazil's policy arena, especially the nation's REDD+ program and policies that define new agrarian reform settlements, both calling for sustainable development. Finally, this environmental rhetoric is also repeated by the landless movements and is made explicit in the development plans created at the settlement level, which systematically outlines programs encouraging diversified production and environmental conservation. However, the reality is that the vast majority of settlers in the Amazon basin are engaged in the cattle economy as opposed to the green alternatives elaborated by policy. Consequently, there is an obvious disconnect between the environmental rhetoric in policies and the material practices of farmers living in the settlements. This is especially problematic because cattle is cited as the main driver of deforestation. So, not only are settlers not engaged in sustainable development as mandated by policy, they have become part of the global cattle economy and, as such, are implicated in tropical deforestation. To understand this disconnect, and the social and environmental implications, this dissertation proposes three main tasks that (1) identify the main factors that motivate settlers to invest in cattle as opposed to diversified activities proposed by policy; (2) examine how engagement in cattle has impacted smallholder well-being; and (3) identify how the insertion of settlers into the global cattle economy has impacted the contentious relationship between small- and largeholders in the Amazon and whether this has mitigated a contentious relationship between smallholders and large ranchers that has led to violent conflicts. To accomplish these objectives, research was conducted in the southeastern region of Pará State, an area that has a history of government-led colonization and development projects as well as entrenched social movement actions inspired to pressure the government to follow through on promises of agrarian reform and settlement formation. This area has also become the most important region in that state for cattle expansion. The research involved (1) interviews with households living in six selected Social Movement Organizations or SMO-led settlements, (2) key informant interviews with social movements, government officials, agronomists, and other settlers, and (3) regional data collection through available databases. Statistical and context analyses were performed to test a suite of related hypotheses. Overall, results show that 71% of settlers have cattle as their main economic activity, with most of them participating in calf production for large ranchers, and credit availability was shown as the main reason for the settlers' decisions regarding economic activities and land use. Finally, results show that the settlers who have cattle are experiencing a better life quality and access to durable goods. However, the evidence was not sufficient to show that involvement in the global cattle economy reduced the contentious relationship between settlers and largeholders that traditionally was intense given the struggle for land in the region.
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