Actor and frontier types in the Brazilian Amazon: Assessing interactions and outcomes associated with frontier expansion

► Macro- and micro-economic processes and conditions determine frontier expansion. ► Deforestation trends are not homogenous since they depend on the actor type. ► The contribution of actor type to deforestation is related to landholding size. ► Large-scale cattle ranching is the main contributor to overall deforestation. ► Deforestation activity is growing in smallholdings due to pasture expansion.