The Cerrado is one of the oldest and richest ecosystems on the planet, in terms of life forms. The existing flora, fauna and culture make the Cerrado one of the most important natural regions to preserve for future generations. It is possible to reconcile food production with the environmental and sociocultural conservation of the Cerrado. To do this, it should not be transformed legally or illegally, and best practices should be implemented, to allow the conservation or recovery of soils, pastures and waters.

The main threat to the survival of the Cerrado is the indiscriminate advance of the agricultural frontier. The conversion of the Cerrado to monocultures, especially soybeans, is one of the main threats to the socioecosystem. The loss of habitat of native species, soil contamination and conflicts with traditional populations are among the main challenges for conserving this territory.

Forest monoculture, especially of exotic species, is another threat since it introduces pesticides and degrades the landscape and ecosystem, harming the permanence of native species of fauna and flora.

After the Atlantic Forest, the Cerrado is the Brazilian ecosystem that suffered the most alterations due to human occupation. Extensive low-productivity livestock farming is a key factor in the degradation of the ecoregion, since it is where the largest livestock farm in the country is concentrated. Burning, a widely used method to remove original vegetation, intensifies atmospheric pollution, reduces soil nutrients, and increases pesticides that contaminate soil, groundwater and rivers.

Forest fires, infrastructure works, mainly Small Hydroelectric Power Plants (SHPs), Hydroelectric Power Plants (UHEs) and the demand for charcoal from native trees for the steel industry also put the Cerrado at risk.