Juan Pablo Ampudia

Documentary Photographer

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Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

Nationality: Mexican

Biography: Born in Jalisco in 1985, Mexican photographer Juan Pablo Ampudia currently lives between Yucatán and Mexico City. His work focuses on the aftermath of different social and environmental issues around Latin America, with a particular... MORE

Land being burned for cattle gr...he Amazon rainforest near Acre.

Land being burned for cattle grazing in September 2019 in the Amazon rainforest near Acre.

The fires turned into a major d...mental protected area in Assis.

The fires turned into a major diplomatic crisis for president Bolsonaro, putting him against a global backlash. He mobilized the military to tackle the flames and banned fires for 60 days. Here, the army interview a man after being surprised setting fire to an environmental protected area in Assis.

Ixa Txana poses for a portrait ...he land for animal agriculture.

Ixa Txana poses for a portrait with the burned rainforest behind her home. The Huni Kuins, an indigenous tribe in the state of Acre, lost almost 80% of their territory because their neighbors set fire to use the land for animal agriculture.

Aristeu Conceicão de...r deforesting a protected area.

Aristeu Conceicão de Souza talks to his brother-in-law after being fined by IMAC, Acre's environment institute, for deforesting a protected area.

The army together with IBAMA, T...vious reports for land burning.

The army together with IBAMA, The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, visit a family who lives inside a protected area in Acre that has previous reports for land burning.

Cattle on a ranch near the city... deforested land in the Amazon.

Cattle on a ranch near the city of Assis whose owners set on fire to expand. Cattle ranches account for up to 80% of deforested land in the Amazon.

A cow after being slaughtered i...em died on inhumane conditions.

A cow after being slaughtered in Acre. In 2019 nearly 50 million cows were slaughtered, and many of them died on inhumane conditions.

A slaughterhouse in Brasileia. ...o 25% of globally beef exports.

A slaughterhouse in Brasileia. Brazil is the world’s largest beef exporter. The industry provides close to 25% of globally beef exports.

Chickens hang upside down into ...laughtered for domestic market.

Chickens hang upside down into metal shackles in a slaughterhouse near Acre. In 2019, more than 5.8 billion broilers were slaughtered for domestic market.

A worker shove the chicken&...many of them are scalded alive.

A worker shove the chicken's legs upside down into metal shackles that carries them to the slaughter process. The birds many times have their legs or wings broken as they are shackled, and many of them are scalded alive.

Pigs are being washed before sl...aughtered in Brazil every year.

Pigs are being washed before slaughter near Acre. Approximately 41.1 million pigs are slaughtered in Brazil every year.

A recently slaughtered pig is p...tion overtook 4 million tonnes.

A recently slaughtered pig is put on fire to remove the remaining hairs from the skin. In 2019, the pigmeat production overtook 4 million tonnes.

Meat being sold in a supermarket in Acre, Brazil.

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Public Story

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Copyright Juan Pablo Ampudia 2024

Date of Work Aug 2019 - Aug 2019

Updated Feb 2022

Location Acre, brazil

Topics Agriculture, Amazon, Animals, Climate Change, Deforestation, Documentary, Environment, Forest, Journalism, Landscape, Latin America, Nature, Photography, Photojournalism, Portrait, Portraiture, Reportage, Still life

2019 was the highest loss in the Brazilian rainforest in a decade. Deforestation surpassed 10,000 square kilometers, and is now pushing into indigenous lands, national parks and one of the most preserved parts of the jungle. Experts have blamed the Bolsonaro administration for the sharp increase in Amazon deforestation since last year. They cite the president’s heated rhetoric against environmental regulations and strip protected areas of their status, and decision to reduce environmental law enforcement. Bolsonaro has openly called for agricultural expansion across the region that today support ranches with more than 50 million cattle. The Agribusiness is a massive contributor to the Brazilian economy, and has gained even more economic and political power. Scientists fear that continued deforestation, combined with the effects of climate change, could trigger the Amazon rainforest to “tip” toward a drier, savanna-like ecosystem. Such a shift would have a profound implications for the region’s biodiversity and forest-dependent peoples.