The Rapid Agricultural Development of Brazil in the Last 20 Years

Abstract

SummaryThis article offers an overview of the rapid development of agriculture and the improvements in social conditions in the rural areas of Brazil. It describes and explains some of the major policies that have driven these processes. According to OECD‐FAO projections from 2014, Brazil can become the main exporter of agricultural commodities, hence a major world food supplier for the growing world population. From a net importer of food products in the 1980s, it has become one of the major world producers of maize, soybeans, sugar, orange juice, coffee, beef, poultry and pork meat. At the same time, Brazil managed to improve the social conditions of the rural poor, by reducing poverty and food insecurity to the lowest levels in decades. These changes are explained by a combination and articulation of social and production policies such as cash transfers to the poor, state purchases from family farming, food banks, school meals and water supply programmes; but also heavy investments in human resources, research and extension, access to differentiated credit schemes, export promotion, mechanisms for attracting foreign investments and availability of natural resources under tropical conditions, allowing for two harvests per year. However, all of these could not have been achieved without strong political support from Brazil's decision‐makers.