Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock-Driven Deforestation in the Amazon: A Bibliometric Analysis 2004–2024

Diego Hernandez Guzman (), Seweryn Zielinski (), Adriana Hernandez Guzman, Beliña Annery Herrera Tapias, Omar Ramírez and Celene B. Milanés
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Diego Hernandez Guzman: Department of Law and Political Sciences, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080003, Colombia
Seweryn Zielinski: Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
Adriana Hernandez Guzman: Postgraduate Programs, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cra 11 #101-80, Bogotá 110111, Colombia
Beliña Annery Herrera Tapias: Department of Law and Political Sciences, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080003, Colombia
Omar Ramírez: Faculty of Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Km. 2 Cajicá-Zipaquirá, Cajicá 250247, Colombia
Celene B. Milanés: Faculty of Engineering, and BiORed Institute, Universidad del Magdalena, Carrera 32 #22-08, Santa Marta 470004, Colombia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-29

Abstract: The Amazon rainforest, a vital global carbon sink, is experiencing extensive forest loss due to environmental pressures, particularly from livestock production. While research on this topic has grown, a comprehensive synthesis is needed to map the intellectual landscape of this critical field and inform actionable policies. Unlike a systematic review, which synthesizes findings qualitatively, this analysis focuses on a quantitative overview of research trends, key authors, and collaborative networks regarding greenhouse gas emissions from livestock-driven deforestation in the Amazon from 2004 to 2024. Additionally, the study makes a thematic synthesis of reviewed literature providing overview on emissions, mitigation, and biodiversity impacts. The review, based on data from Scopus and Web of Science processed through Bibliometrix and VOSviewer software, reveals a growing and increasingly collaborative field, with research output showing significant growth post-2010, dominated by institutions in Brazil and the United States, with a conceptual focus that has shifted from basic deforestation metrics to sophisticated analyses of mitigation strategies and policy impacts. The findings highlight recurrent deforestation drivers, including export-oriented agriculture and weak land tenure, and demonstrate the effectiveness of specific mitigation options. Key mitigation strategies identified include silvopastoral systems with more than 30% tree cover, rotational grazing, and targeted pasture restoration, which can halve emissions within 5–7 years when combined with credit incentives and secure land tenure. The review underscores the evolution of research toward more policy-relevant and interdisciplinary approaches, but also highlights the need for more empirical validation and collaborative efforts to translate these findings into scalable climate solutions.

Keywords: Amazon; greenhouse-gas; methane; pasture; cattle; agriculture; deforestation; silvopastoral; climate change; mitigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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