This commentary examines the challenge of sustainable development in the Amazon, arguing that global efforts to mitigate climate change and current Amazonian policies are clearly inadequate to prevent global warming and deforestation from tipping the forest into a savanna. It analyses the growing climate pressures jeopardising the Amazon's resilience; the erratic Brazilian, Bolivian, Colombian, Ecuadorian and Peruvian governance of the forest; and the failure of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) to establish long-term forest conservation policies in the region. The research demonstrates that the ‘savannisation hypothesis’ is potentially closer to reality than most debates in the social sciences assume and should be considered seriously. The commentary concludes by suggesting possible pathways for preventing the dieback of the Amazon. These are based on three strategic axes: the strengthening of the ACTO, the promotion of a technological revolution in the forest, and a progressive environmental diplomacy by the Amazonian countries.

This essay introduces some research and pedagogical issues relevant to the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda into academic criminology, especially concerning teaching and learning about these issues in the context of climate change. Academic criminology should not hesitate to take on board the normative dimension of socio-economic development. Certainly, the 2030 United Nations Agenda is a very fitting case in point.

The local Brazilian breed of cattle known as Curraleiro is at risk of extinction. As a result a group of researchers have taken action to conserve and utilize these animals. The Curraleiro breed is descended from cattle brought to Brazil by Iberian colonizers. These animals have adapted to pasture of low quality, very low humidity conditions, heat and other adverse factors characteristic of the Brazilian savannah. A population census was conducted and, in order to identify the characteristics of Curraleiro breeders, 28 farmers in the states of Goiás and Tocantins were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire, eliciting information about them, their farms and their animals. The type of production system and the level of technology applied in the farms were determined in each case. Forty-nine herds, with a a total of 3,692 animals, were located in the states of Goiás, Tocantins, Bahia, Pará and Piaui. The production system applied to Curraleiro livestock herds is extensive, with a medium level of technology, low production costs and low economic returns. The risk of inbreeding is evident and there is great concern and interest on the part of producers in conserving this breed. Because the national census of these cattle is low, this breed can be considered vulnerable and at risk of extinction.