Brazil combines growth in agricultural and livestock production with environmental sustainability, says Ipea

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Over the years, the Brazilian agricultural and cattle raising productivity has advanced allied to environmental sustainability. This formula contributes to Brazil’s standout as a protagonist in constructing a low carbon economy. The findings are in the publication Productivity and Sustainability Indicators of the Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Sector, released by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea).

“Brazil stands out as one of the leaders and protagonists in constructing a low carbon economy. Based on the indicators analyzed, it was possible to verify the national contribution and the Brazilian effort in sustainable production. There is no doubt that Brazil is an example to be highlighted in the international context regarding agricultural production with productive sustainability,” states the Ipea study.

The low carbon economy is a system that fosters the rational use of natural resources in the search for having the least possible impact on the environment, reducing or eliminating the emission of greenhouse gases. The reduction in the emissions of these gases is foreseen in goals assumed by Brazil in international agreements.

According to the study, Brazil has been continuously increasing its agricultural and cattle raising productivity and, at the same time, managing to stand out in the low carbon economy and preserve it due to the improvement of the productive technical efficiency indexes in the sector.

According to the study, the Brazilian agricultural and cattle production per unit of greenhouse gas emissions has also been growing over the last two decades. Production increases while the emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere decreases.

The text also mentions that the country is one of the few globally that has implemented stricter rules for land use and preservation areas. “The Brazilian legislation has the potential to boost the efficient use of productive resources and become an effective instrument for environmental sustainability.

The Ipea publication registers that the expansion of the agricultural production area with sustainable technologies and practices reached 154% of the goal set in the Sectorial Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change for the Consolidation of the Low Carbon Emission Economy in Agriculture (ABC Plan). The Plan is a public policy composed of programs with actions to be carried out to adopt sustainable production technologies.

The goal of mitigating the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, one of the causes of the greenhouse effect, was also exceeded, reaching the equivalent of 113%.

The ABC Plan actions involve adopting integrated crop-livestock-forest systems, the incorporation of the direct planting system, the biological fixation of nitrogen, the expansion of the planted forest area, and the treatment of animal waste.

FOREST PRESERVATION

The Ipea publication brings another piece of data that demonstrates the country’s commitment to sustainable development. It is the preservation of native forests. According to the text, Brazil is the country that has managed to preserve the largest extension of native forests within its territory, about 57.2%, or practically the whole of its forested area. Brazil still contributes 1.3% of its territory when it comes to planted forests.

“The numbers show that Brazil, so far, has preserved a substantial area with native forests, even with strong agricultural growth and, relatively, with low use of land for agricultural production, either with pastures or with agricultural areas,” the publication records.

According to Ipea’s study, in specific terms, the recovery of pastures and animal waste treatment are bottlenecks that persist in Brazil’s path toward low carbon agriculture.

Ipea’s publication aims to synthesize the productive picture of the Brazilian agriculture and cattle-raising sector in the last 15 years. The study was written by José Eustáquio Ribeiro Vieira Filho, a researcher at the Regional, Urban, and Environmental Studies and Policies Department.

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