A recent paper led by IFRI postdoctoral research Peter Newton explores the possibilities for a voluntary certification program to enhance the environmental and social sustainability of cattle ranching in Brazil. The new Sustainable Agriculture Network’s cattle certification program certifies farmers who comply with a set of agreed standards, which include stringent controls over deforestation and forest conservation. Only a handful of farms have been certified to date, but these farms now enjoy the freedom to sell their cattle products with the Rainforest Alliance seal, and other benefits associated with being ‘first-movers’ in adopting more sustainable practices. The Policy Perspective, published this month in the journal Conservation Letters, discusses the challenges and opportunities that certification may hold for improved sustainability in the cattle sector in Brazil. The paper can be accessed here.