This book brings together and critically assesses the economic, agronomic and environmental evidence for the benefits and costs of cattle ranching in the Amazon region. The ecology of the Amazon rain forest is described, along with methods of economic valuation of forests, agricultural systems in the Amazon, the history and underlying causes of its colonisation and the effects on land use, and the extent of deforestation. This leads on to a more detailed description of the cattle ranching systems employed in the Amazon, their economics and effects on the forest. In conclusion, the potential for sustainable cattle production in the Amazon is discussed.