THE CERRADO

The Cerrado is the largest savannah in Latin America. It covers more than 20% of Brazil and shelters 5% of all the living species on Earth. It’s home to over 10,000 species of plants, almost half of which are found nowhere else in the world. But the Cerrado is also one of the most threatened and over-exploited regions in the world.

Unsustainable agriculture – particularly soy production and cattle ranching – as well as burning of vegetation for charcoal, pose a major threat to the Cerrado’s wildlife, including jaguars, maned wolves and giant anteaters. Habitat destruction also threatens the way of life of many indigenous people and other communities who rely on forests, natural grasslands and savannahs for their livelihoods.

In Europe, we rely on soy from the Cerrado to meet increasing demand for meat and dairy products. But if high-income countries ate less animal protein by adopting a more balanced diet, we could reduce the pressure on nature as well as benefiting people’s health.

With less than 3% under legal protection, WWF is working in the Cerrado to protect this unique environment. WWF assisted in the creation of one of the most famous national parks in the centre of Brazil - the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.