Brazilian agriculture is expected to grow a record 40% till the end of this decade – twice the rhythm needed, in global scale, to supply for the growing demand, according to estimates of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The country can give a contribution “to reduce the growth of hunger and inflation that is scaring the world, once again”, says this interesting article by Mario Osava, from Terramerica, a news agency sponsored by the United Nations, focused on sustainability and development.
This is the picture of the country’s agriculture, as portrayed by Osava:
- Brazil is the leader in sugar, coffee, beef, soy and orange juice exports.
- The country’s grain production grew 150% in the last 20 years – even if the planted area grew only 30% since 1990. During the 2010-2010 harvest, 148 million tons of grains were produced.
- The country cultivates 72 million hectares (178 million acres), or 8.5% of its territory. According to Roberto Rodrigues, Agriculture minister between 2003 and 2006, interviewed for the article, additional 90 million hectares (222 million acres) could be cultivated without affecting native forests, because there are 70 million hectares of former pasture land that are already degraded. [My own comment: it is not clear if producers would necessary choose to plant in the degraded lands if they have the possibility of deforesting areas that are still fertile and rich in humus. If you don’t have laws, enforcement of the laws, control by the government, society and the banks, which can decide where to invest, you will have more expansion over native forests and cerrado. But that is, of course, a whole different debate. ]
- Around 200 million hectares (494 million acres) are used to raise cattle – most of it extensively, with less than one animal per hectare.
- Thanks to agriculture (and not the industry), the country had a US$ 20.244 billion commercial surplus.
Quoting Rodrigues, the article says that Brazil has “land, technology and courageous producers” to face the challenge of helping grow global agriculture to respond to the predicted the elevation of food prices, but it still lacks a strategy to fulfill “its destiny”.
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