Access to land, livestock production and ecosystem conservation in the Brazilian Campos biome: The natural grasslands dilemma

How to improve access to land and livestock production in synergy with ecosystem conservation? The paradigm occurring in natural grasslands of the Southern Brazilian Campos biome is used to illustrate the dilemma. This paper aims to contribute by addressing the technical bases being used by legislations concerning access to land and incentive to production and their consequences for natural grassland systems. Current policies have a production-oriented focus trying to promote livestock productivity by setting minimum stocking rates to be applied in grasslands. The unexpected results are overgrazing and reduction of natural grasslands, so the dilemma production versus conservation emerges. There is a need for adapting access to land legislations to the new environmental functions expected for natural grasslands, which warrant a conservation-oriented approach according to their multifunctional role. Integrated measures are proposed, which could be helpful in resolving the conflicting compromises regarding the inducement of production and the promotion of natural resources conservation.