ABSTRACT
This chapter describes trends in grassland management and utilization in subtropical and tropical Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1990s, and attempts to identify some of the main issues likely to dominate the sector in the early twenty-first century.
It is posited that during the 1980s and 1990s there have been major changes in grassland- based ruminant production systems, largely induced by macroeconomic policies of that period. The evidence reviewed shows the horizontal expansion of the pasture frontier that characterized earlier decades decreased significantly, notwithstanding reconversions within extant production systems. At the same time, the available data show that grassland-based ruminant animal production increased and has become more efficient. This is particularly true in the case of cow milk production, which has witnessed major technological advances; the process of intensification and "modernization" is still ongoing, and although most clearly visible among medium to large producers, the phenomenon applies also to a large fraction of the small-scale farming sector, which has become increasingly market oriented.
Grassland management and utilization are becoming gradually more sophisticated, and traditional extensive grazing systems are yielding to more management- and knowledge- based systems, a trend that will probably become more marked during the next few years. In parallel, land, particularly grassland, degradation has become more noticeable. Depending upon the specific ecosystem considered, economically feasible alternatives to pasture renovation are available and are being adopted in favoured areas, whereas, in more marginal regions, complex combinations of policy and technology may be required for successful grazing land reclamation. In some of the latter areas, as well as elsewhere, new market opportunities for grassland products are being actively sought, such as for organic meat, 516milk and cheese; agroecotourism; and many other activities. The picture that emerges is of an active sector that, in contrast to earlier decades, is actively exploring economic and technological alternatives, with an emphasis on short- to medium-term economically viable solutions. Longer-term issues, such as those involving societal and environmental concerns, are also being raised by some sectors of Latin American society, and are likely to affect grassland management in future years.
