Brazil’s most deforested amazon reserve loses half its forest cover as cattle ranching devastates protected area

Brazil’s Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area has earned the devastating distinction of being the most deforested protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. Since its establishment in 2006, this massive reserve—originally covering an area more than half the size of Belgium—has lost approximately 50% of its primary forest cover to deforestation.

The destruction has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Satellite data from the University of Maryland’s Global Land Analysis and Discovery lab reveals that forest loss skyrocketed by 400% between 2023 and 2024, making 2024 the worst year on record for the embattled reserve. Preliminary 2025 data shows the alarming trend continues, with deforestation now concentrated in the northern section of the 1.7-million-hectare reserve where the largest remaining forest tracts still stand.

The primary culprit behind this environmental catastrophe is cattle ranching. Located in Brazil’s cattle heartland, where cows outnumber humans 38 to one, the region faces relentless pressure from ranchers who clear forest for pastureland using slash-and-burn techniques. These fires, intended to clear areas and renew degraded soil, often spiral out of control, consuming not only targeted forest areas but also crops, homes, and additional pristine woodland.

This ongoing destruction highlights the critical challenge facing Brazil’s environmental protection efforts, as economic pressures from one of the country’s most important industries continue to override conservation measures designed to preserve the Amazon’s irreplaceable biodiversity and climate-regulating functions.