Regional Integrated Silvopastoral Ecosystem Management Project – Costa Rica, Colombia and Nicaragua Authors: Stefano Pagiola and Agustin Arcenas

Pasture-based cattle farming has dramatically modified the rural landscapes on a continental scale and has been recognized as a process with huge environmental and social impacts. In Latin America and the Caribbean region, there are currently more than 602 million hectares occupied by permanent pastures, which accounts for more than 33% of the said region (Chará & Murgueitio 2005). Cattle production and ranching has long been an important cause for both the loss of natural habitat and biodiversity and the driving force behind deforestation in Costa Rica, Colombia and Nicaragua.