The destruction of the Amazon rainforest to make way for cattle ranches has been directly linked for the first time to patterns of consumption of beef and leather in the developed world, according to campaigners.

Cattle ranching is the single most important cause of the tearing down of rain­forest in Brazil. The lucrative business caters to the changing tastes of wealthier consumers in emerging economies such as China and India, as well as to long-established markets, including Europe and the US.