Brazil’s Environmental Minister is blaming farmers who illegally clear the Amazon and traffickers of exotic species as the root causes of animals becoming extinct in the country.

From BusinessWeek:

Minc blamed the growing number of endangered species on deforestation in the Amazon, which he said is sparked by soy farmers and ranchers illegally clearing land to plant crops and graze cattle.

He also blamed the illegal trafficking of exotic animals.

According to Renctas, a Brazilian organization that fights animal smuggling, illegal trafficking of rare species generates about $2 billion a year in the country. Many of the animals are sold to collectors in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Minc said the Atlantic rain forest — covering the southern and central coasts of Brazil — was where most of the endangered animals were located. About 90 percent of the original forest has been felled.