Brazilian agribusiness threatens to clear 74,000 acres of bolivia’s critical chiquitano forest

A massive tract of pristine dry forest in Bolivia faces imminent destruction as a Brazilian agricultural corporation moves to purchase 30,019 hectares (74,179 acres) of land in the ecologically vital Chiquitano region. The plot—roughly three times the size of Paris—has been sustainably managed for years but now risks being cleared for cropland, according to documents obtained by environmental news outlet Mongabay.

The threatened forest sits within the Chiquitano dry forest, a 24-million-hectare ecosystem that serves as nature’s highway between some of South America’s most important habitats. This critical landscape connects the Amazon rainforest with the Gran Chaco and Cerrado savannas, providing essential migration corridors for countless wildlife species. “It’s a critical link between very important biomes, and it’s one of the last solid blocks of forest in the whole area,” explained James Johnson, a forestry consultant based in Santa Cruz.

The potential sale represents more than just another business transaction—it threatens to accelerate environmental devastation that has already ravaged the region. Over the past decade, agribusiness has destroyed millions of hectares across the Chiquitano, making it one of South America’s deforestation hotspots. Environmental groups had hoped to purchase the land for conservation but were reportedly outmaneuvered by the Brazilian firm.

Indigenous communities are particularly concerned, as clearing this forest would worsen degradation and desertification of their ancestral lands. “What they want to do is change the land use,” said Juan Carlos Laura of the Indigenous Peoples Support Foundation–Jenecheru, which advocates for local communities facing mounting pressure from agricultural expansion.