Towards Efficient Land Use In Brazil

Abstract

Increasing global demand for food and the need to address climate change risk reinforce the pressing need for delivery of ecosystem protection and efficient land use. Brazil is a key player in this context. On the agricultural production, the average national crop farm productivity quadrupled and the average national cattle farm productivity doubled between 1970 and 2006. More recently, the country's conservation efforts have been successful in reducing the rate of Amazon forest clearings to its lowest level in 30 years. This report shows that there is potential for promoting economic growth and improving ecosystem protection simultaneously within Brazil's rural landscape, helping the country to realize latent land use efficiency gains. Not only the potential exists, but also there is a substantial process of improvement in place. Well functioning markets and policies can boost the pace in which these changes are happening, creating an opportunity for mitigation of climate change risk that is embedded in an overall strategy for developing the Brazilian rural economy and addressing the increasing food demand.