Illegal Livestock Farming Threatens Latin America: UN

Illegal livestock farming in Latin America poses a growing threat to the environment, biodiversity, public health, and indigenous communities, highlighted experts at the 12th session of the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), held in Vienna.

“Nearly all forests in Latin America are under threat from illegal cattle farming. In the Amazon, it accounts for 70% of deforestation, and in Central America, 90%,” said Jeremy Radachowsky, Regional Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). He pointed at two heavily impacted areas: La Mosquitia, spanning Honduras and Nicaragua, and the Maya Forest in Guatemala and Mexico. According to WCS, these illegal activities often intersect with organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Beyond environmental degradation, illegal cattle farming raises serious public health concerns. Uncontrolled livestock movements across borders contribute to the spread of diseases, such as the screwworm, a parasite that affects both animals and humans and has recently re-emerged in Honduras after being eradicated from the region three decades ago. “This plague could quickly spread to Guatemala and Mexico if urgent action is not taken,” warned Kurt Duchez, Environmental Crime Consultor, WCS. 

In addition to health risks, some meat from illegally farmed cattle enters markets without proper safety checks, posing potential risks to consumers in countries like the United States and Mexico, where the meat’s origins and environmental impact may be unknown. Duchez emphasized the importance of traceability to distinguish legal, sustainable meat from illegal sources tied to deforestation and conflict. “Central America has a traceability system that has yet to be fully implemented by all countries. This system needs to be applied and functional,” he said.

Illegal cattle ranching has also led to violence and displacement in indigenous communities. In regions such as the Amazon and La Mosquitia, settlers have seized land for ranching, forcing indigenous populations off their lands. Marcia Monico López, Community Leader and Representative, Honduras’ Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), warned that settlers have taken over, and locals no longer have access to their traditional lands. “With local resources increasingly inaccessible, many residents are compelled to leave their communities to seek livelihoods elsewhere,” she said. 

Radachowsky urged governments to address illegal livestock farming as transnational organized crime and called for stronger border security. “It is crucial for regional governments to reinforce borders and adopt a coordinated approach to combat this activity,” Radachowsky said, noting that law enforcement and justice, along with indigenous and community support, are key to tackling the problem.