In the past two decades, Brazil’s rural areas have seen a decline in population at almost twice the rate of the global average.
The World Bank reports a 33.8% reduction in the rural population of Brazil from 2000 to 2022, outpacing the global figure of 19.2%.
Gerson Teixeira of the Brazilian Association for Agrarian Reform underscores sustainability concerns for rural and urban areas.
The move towards urban centers without sufficient support in housing, healthcare, and education has precipitated urban crises and disrupted essential food production chains.
This phenomenon of rural depopulation, while a global occurrence associated with economic progress, manifests distinctively across nations.
Brazil’s migration wave, mainly between the 1950s and 1980s, reduced rural dwellers from about 65% to roughly 25%.
Migration persists, rural population declined to 12.4% in 2022 from 18.8% in 2000, falling below rates in developed countries.
Brazil’s decrease to 12.4% in 2022 contrasts sharply with the 18.5% rural population among OECD countries.
The global rural demographic declined from 53.3% in 2000 to 43.3% in 2022, with India reporting 64.1% rural population.
Contag, collaborating with the Inter-Union Department of Statistics, highlights rural youth decline due to limited opportunities.
Challenges in Rural Education and Demographics
Rural educational institutions decreased from 79,300 to 52,700, with student enrollments falling from 4.6 million to 3.3 million.
The workforce-age population dwindled by almost a million in a decade, while the older people segment increased by around 200,000.
Contag stresses the urgency of implementing strategies to retain rural inhabitants to avert urban overburdening and safeguard food security.
Given that family farms produce over 70% of Brazil’s fruits and vegetables, ensuring their viability is crucial for healthy food access.
To enhance rural living’s appeal, Contag suggests policies enhancing connectivity, modernization, sanitation, and housing, along with bolstering family farming.
The federal government’s 2023 Family Agriculture Harvest Plan allocates R$ 71.6 ($14) billion in rural credit with low interest.
Targets young farmers, with a 34% increase from previous cycles, aiming to reverse rural exodus trend.