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HOW THE LULA GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE BRAZIL'S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
SUSTAINABLE
Fernando Alcoforado*
This article aims to show how the Lula government can make the agricultural sector sustainable
in Brazil. Agriculture is, in Brazil, one of the main economic sectors of the country since the
colonial period with extensive monocultures until reaching the diversification of its production in
the 21st century. In the 20th century, in the 1960s and 1970s, Brazil experienced processes of
industrialization and urbanization with strong economic growth, which, however, did not find
correspondence in the country's agricultural sector, characterized at the time by low productivity.
A considerable part of the domestic food supply came from imports. Rural-urban migration has
intensified as a result of immense national rural poverty. Over the last 60 years, Brazil has gone
from being a food importer to becoming a major food provider for the world. Significant increases
in agricultural production and productivity were obtained thanks to the green revolution
implemented in the country [1].
The green revolution and its economic and environmental impacts in Brazil
Brazil has become one of the main players in world agribusiness. Today, more is produced in
each hectare of land in Brazil, which is a very important aspect for the preservation of natural
resources. Figure 1 shows the areas of agricultural production in Brazil.
Figure 1- Agricultural production areas in Brazil
Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultura_no_Brasil
The Green Revolution increased productivity in Brazil, but brought numerous problems
for the environment. With deforestation for cultivation, came the emergence of pests and
the use of pesticides, fungicides, among other products. In this way, there was
contamination throughout the ecosystem (soil, rivers, animals, vegetables). In addition,
the Green Revolution “expelled” small producers from their crops, contributing to the
excessive concentration of land ownership, the increase in the rural exodus to the cities
and, consequently, to the increase in population in the outskirts of large cities [1 ]. The

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Green Revolution in Brazil took place during the military dictatorship between the 1960s
and 1970s when it made the country develop its own agricultural technology in
universities, research centers, government agencies and private institutions. The Green
Revolution was a phenomenon marked by the large-scale use of technology in rural areas.
Its main characteristics were related to the use of machinery, equipment, agricultural
pesticides and other mechanisms that led to an increase in agricultural production and
productivity. The indiscriminate use of pesticides has led to contamination of water and
soil and has had drastic effects on non-target species, affecting biodiversity, food webs
and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems [2].
Because of the efforts undertaken by the government, by science and technology (S&T)
institutions, by public and private agents in the sector and especially by rural producers,
accentuated productivity gains in the agricultural sector could be observed, mainly from
the 1990s onwards as shows Figure 2 [3].
Figure 2- Productivity index of production factors in Brazilian agriculture
Source: https://fernandonogueiracosta.wordpress.com/2018/07/29/trajetoria-da-agricultura-brasileira-
evolucao-recente/
In order to guarantee food security to the (increasingly urban) population and reduce food
prices, since 1960 the Brazilian government has instituted policies to increase agricultural
production and productivity, including public investments in research and development
(R&D), rural extension and subsidized rural credit. Rural producers had a preponderant
role for the Brazilian agricultural sector to experience rapid development, and the various
forms of organization of producers and production chains were also important [3]. In
2021, agribusiness as a whole represented 26.6% of GDP [4] and was responsible for
45.9% of the value of exports [5], generating a trade balance of US$ 71 billion in the first
half of 2022 [5]. Agribusiness was responsible for 19 million people employed, which
represented almost half of workers in the primary sector of the economy. Agribusiness
and services employed, respectively, 4.12 million and 5.67 million people, while 227.9
thousand people were employed in the segment of agribusiness inputs [6].
With the Green Revolution in Brazil, there was excessive exploitation of the country's
natural resource base, increasing levels of soil degradation and depletion, water pollution,
poisoning and contamination of farmers by pesticides, in addition to loss of biodiversity
[1]. Brazil is in 81st place in the Environmental Performance Index in the world. This is

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the Ranking carried out by Columbia and Yale Universities in the United States that show
how countries improve the health of the environment, progress in protecting ecosystems
and mitigate climate change. Brazil is the fourth worst in the world in recycling and the
ninth in greenhouse gas emissions [11]. For Brazilian agriculture to become sustainable,
it is necessary to increase its productivity without causing damage to the ecosystem.
The green revolution is no longer considered the solution to solving the problem of food
security in the world. Agriculture has modernized in Brazil, but there are millions of
hectares of degraded soil and pastures, there is great inefficiency in the use of water in
irrigation, the inadequate use of agrochemicals poses risks to health and the environment
and there is still a large amount of land in the hands of small portion of rural landowners,
among other problems. If it were disseminated to all areas that are currently deforested,
in addition to aggravating social problems in the countryside, with the exclusion of small
producers and an increase in rural exodus and poverty, it would cause a progressive
degradation of the natural resource base (soil, water and biodiversity), loss of ecosystem
services and worsening climate change, causing a long-term reduction in production and
an increase in hunger [1]. The use of pesticides in Brazil is seen as one of the main factors
responsible for environmental degradation due to the contamination of natural resources
[12]. According to the IBGE, the contamination of watercourses by agrochemicals in the
country is second only to sewage pollution.
How to make the agricultural sector in Brazil sustainable
Protecting natural areas on rural properties based solely on the laws of the Forestry Code
is not enough if the environmental quality of the surrounding cultivated areas is
compromised by the use of inappropriate technologies. In addition, the conservation of
water resources, for example, depends on the environmental condition of the soils in the
hydrographic basins. Thus, even if areas of natural vegetation protected in accordance
with legislation are maintained, if most of the basin's soil is degraded and contaminated
due to inadequate management of cultivated areas, the flow and environmental quality of
water bodies will be affected. In order to control the environmental impacts resulting from
agribusiness, it is necessary to adopt sustainable management practices, investing in
methods that involve crop diversification and rotation, as well as the use of alternative
and less aggressive agricultural inputs for pest control. If these low environmental impact
production systems are well executed, the techniques can be disseminated to currently
degraded areas with low production. Production systems with a low environmental
impact, although generally less productive in the short term, when compared to systems
based on the high use of chemical inputs, can be productive enough to meet the increase
in the world demand for food if they are technically well applied and disseminated to the
currently degraded areas with low production [12].
Unlike large properties, where monoculture is generally concentrated, family businesses
produce a greater diversity of crops, which generates a positive impact on product quality
[7]. To be characterized as family farming, production must use labor from its own family
in economic activities and the property cannot be larger than four fiscal modules, which
varies from 5 to 110 hectares depending on the region of the country. The direction of the
agricultural enterprise must be carried out by family members. In addition, a minimum
part of the family income needs to be generated by the rural property. Family farming
was recognized as a profession in Brazil after the approval of Law nº 11.326/2006. The
legislation defined these limits for the exploration of rural activities carried out on small
properties to allow access to government programs to encourage this agricultural practice,
such as lines of credit, technical assistance and a food acquisition program. Many family

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farmers are also dedicated to plant extraction, harvesting native products to market
regionally and expand their source of income. Unlike the green revolution characteristic
of large properties, soil management is usually organic, with respect for the ecosystem,
reducing the impact on the environment. This is because more traditional practices value
natural measures of fertilization and combating pests [7].
In Brazil, the IBGE Agricultural Census indicates that family farming is the economic
base of 90% of Brazilian municipalities with up to 20,000 inhabitants, with a diversified
production of grains, animal and vegetable proteins, fruits, vegetables and legumes. In
terms of area, family farming covers 80.9 million hectares, which is equivalent to 23% of
the total area of agricultural properties in Brazil. Family farmers are important both for
supplying the internal market and for controlling food inflation in Brazil, producing about
70% of beans, 34% of rice, 87% of cassava, 60% of milk production and 59% of the pig
herd, 50% of poultry and 30% of cattle [7]. Family farming represents almost 80% of
agricultural properties in Brazil and 67% of all workers employed in agriculture (10
million people) [7]. It produces 84% of cassava, 67% of beans, 58% of pigs, 54% of dairy
cattle, 49% of corn, 46% of wheat, 40% of poultry and eggs and 31% of rice that reach
Brazilian tables. [8]. About 60% of the country's municipalities are essentially rural [9].
When considering food consumed in the country, 70% comes from family farming,
according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). They
are small farmers who plant to supply the family and sell what is left of the harvest such
as cassava, beans, rice, corn, milk, potatoes [14].
For these reasons, it is fundamental to rethink the model of technological development
that has been adopted for agriculture in Brazil. The environmental sustainability of
Brazilian agriculture needs to be developed on an ecological basis, which does not only
consider productivity and immediate economic return, but which has a systemic and
integrated view of agricultural production in its environment, aiming at its optimization
and long-term continuity. [13]. Environmentally appropriate technologies need to be
developed locally, adapted to the ecological conditions of each place and cannot be
imposed on the producer in the form of large technological packages. It is important for
the producer to be an active agent in the process of generating and adapting the technology
together with the agricultural technician, integrating research and technical assistance in
a participatory model of technological development. This requires, however, a great effort
to change the training of professionals working in the area, researchers and extension
agents. Investments in education are the basis of all technological change. Brazil, which
invested in the training of agronomists and agricultural technicians to act along the lines
of the green revolution, now needs to ensure the growth of its agriculture with
sustainability, investing heavily in the training of agents who are capable of developing
sustainable agriculture, as is the case of family farming [13].
Another fundamental strategy is to integrate Embrapa more strongly in this effort to adopt
sustainable agriculture in Brazil [13]. Additionally, it is necessary to offer subsidized
credit, to stimulate the processing agroindustry and to pay for environmental services
(PSA). It is also necessary to adjust actions to the specific socioeconomic and
environmental reality of each region and combine federal actions with state and municipal
ones so that efforts can be effective. Sustainable agriculture to be adopted in Brazil should
consider the existence of integrated production systems with practices that, over time,
guarantee environmental quality, preserve natural resources, promote the efficient use of
resources and improve the quality of life of producers and of society, with economic
viability of agricultural processes. Sustainable agriculture requires crop rotation, use of
natural fertilizers and biological insecticides so that these practices contribute to a

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healthier soil that is capable of meeting production needs without compromising future
generations. Sustainable agriculture means controlling pests using more natural pesticides
and less chemicals that contaminate the soil, air and water, reusing materials, creating
systems that use rainwater for irrigation or even using maritime containers as a product
warehouse [13].
The Brazilian agricultural sector faces a huge problem that is represented by the excessive
concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few. Figure 3 shows the concentration
of land ownership in Brazil. 1.2% of landowners own 45% of the land used in agricultural
activities in Brazil.
Figure 3- Concentration of land ownership in Brazil
Source: https://slideplayer.com.br/slide/338664/
Sustainability in the agricultural sector cannot be achieved with the excessive land concentration
existing in the country, which resulted from the Portuguese colonization of Brazil from 1500
onwards, which led to the donation of sesmarias (plantation) to the holders of power from which
the current latifundia were born. Currently, this land concentration has advanced with land
grabbing due to the illegal appropriation of state lands through falsified property titles and the
lack of government support for small landowners who are often pressured to sell their land to
landowners.
Conclusions
Sustainability for the agricultural sector will not be achieved only by overcoming environmental,
production and productivity problems with the abandonment of the model based on the green
revolution and the adoption of a new model to be developed on ecological bases that has a
systemic vision and integrated agricultural production in its environment, aiming at its
optimization and its long-term continuity, but also, with the effective reduction of the excessive
concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few, through an agrarian reform that is as
democratic as possible.
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* Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member
of the Bahia Academy of Education, of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science and of
IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development
from the University of Barcelona, university professor (Engineering, Economy and Administration) and
consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and
energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric
power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia
Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning
of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC-
O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil
(Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de
doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização
e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século
XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions
of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária
(Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o
progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo,
São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI
(Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o
Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como
inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as
estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da
tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade(Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2022)and a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, United States, 2022).