The rapid soybean growth in Brazil

Abstract

Soybean is the main crop in Brazil, both in scale and in value. Nonetheless, the beginning was very humble. Soybean was a minor crop until the 1960s, when it was restricted to the South Region (subtropical), from where it expanded to the Midwest Region (tropical) in the 1980s. That was possible thanks to the development of cultivars well adapted to low latitude conditions of the Region. In the Midwest Region, home of the Cerrado Biome, the land was plentiful and affordable with flat topography, deep soils, well drained and easy to handle. The challenge was related to soil fertility, originally acidic and poor in nutrients. The role of research was of fundamental importance in overcoming that challenge. In the 1990s, soybean advanced towards the north center and in the 2000s, it expanded farther to the north (latitudes near 0°). Soybean has been the driving force behind Brazil’s recent agricultural development, with significant economic and social impact. Municipalities that grow soybean have achieved Human Development Indexes higher than the ones that do not grow soybean. Second place among the world’s largest producers, Brazil is expected to take the lead in the coming decade. To move forward, Brazil needs to use the assets it already has: technological efficiency for production in tropical lands, availability of arable lands and entrepreneurial farmers. The global demand for soybean and the associated market prices will determine how much Brazilian soybean production will grow in the coming years.