Unsustainable landscapes of deforested Amazonia : an analysis of the relationships among landscapes and the social, economic and environmental profiles of farms at different ages following deforestation

•We analyzed the socioeconomic and environmental components in 51 farms representing a chronosequence after deforestation.•An increase in human well-being was achieved at the expense of the natural capital (biodiversity and ecosystem services).•Early colonizers of the forest do not benefit from increases in well-being.•Sustainability assessed using a combined measure of social, economic and environmental indices decreased with time.•Agroforestry and sylvopastoral systems can be used to restore sustainable landscapes.