Cattle Industry
The image of cloud filled forests is the popular view of Costa
Rica. But it is also cowboy country.
Drive a few of the back roads towards the monteverde Cloud forest
and the hillsides will be populated by wildlife and cows and bulls
grazing on steep slopes once covered by tropical forest.
The men who work here know how to ride, throw a rope and coral
a bull.
While
horses still are still used to herd cattle, motorcycles are a
common way to reach the top ridges.
While there are certainly large scale operations in Costa Rica,
many cattle ranchers are small land owners who are dependent on
the cattle for a living. It also supports the men and women and
their families who work the ranch.
Any plan that reserves land for wild life has to take into account
the impact it has on the country's supply of beef. But it will
also affect people like Miguel and his family. If Miguel can't
work the land he still needs to make a living.
