Shifting Cultivation

Shifting Cultivation-Brazil 

Shifting Cultivation is also known by some societies as slash & burn agriculture. This technique occurs when farmers clear land for planting by slashing vegetation and burning the debris. Unfortunately, this agricultural method is known for causing more harm than good. Although ashes from burned plants allows for nutrients to leech into the soil, after a maximum of 3 years, the soil is often void of all nutrients and unable to support the growth of crops. In Brazil, crops such as manioc, sugarcane, and soybeans are grown. Indigenous groups use shifting cultivation to provide subsistence to feed their small communities. 

Northern Brazil is home to a plethora of cultural groups that use shifting cultivation as a means to produce crops. When I first arrived to Brazil, I was ignorant of the different methods used in cultivating crops. The men work immensely hard in the fields in order to feed other members of their community. Although land designed to hold rainforest is declining rapidly, shifting cultivation in this area continues on. Many areas of Brazil have, however, turned towards other methods of agriculture such as logging and cattle ranching. 

http://www.brazil.org.uk/resources/documents/bs-secondary08.pdf