Agricultural Support and Public Policies Improving Sustainability in Brazil’s Beef Industry

Luana Molossi (), Aaron Kinyu Hoshide, Daniel Carneiro de Abreu and Ronaldo Alves de Oliveira
Additional contact information
Luana Molossi: AgriSciences, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Caixa Postal 729, Sinop 78550-970, MT, Brazil
Aaron Kinyu Hoshide: AgriSciences, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Caixa Postal 729, Sinop 78550-970, MT, Brazil
Daniel Carneiro de Abreu: AgriSciences, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Caixa Postal 729, Sinop 78550-970, MT, Brazil
Ronaldo Alves de Oliveira: AgriSciences, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Caixa Postal 729, Sinop 78550-970, MT, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Since the dawn of Brazilian trade, extensive cattle farming has predominated. Brazil’s extensive pasture-based system uses pasture plants adapted to climate and soil conditions with limited use of purchased inputs. However, new technologies such as integrated crop and livestock systems have recently been adopted, with government support and public policies that are intended to encourage increased agricultural production in Brazil. Domestic and international stakeholders have prioritized sustainable agricultural development in Brazil’s beef sector to reduce deforestation and other natural-habitat conversions. This review provides an overview of beef production in Brazil, focusing particularly on (1) historical factors that have encouraged an extensive, low-intensity style of production and (2) how national public policies supporting agriculture have improved sustainability in Brazil’s beef industry. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, specific public policies for rural areas began to implement changes that addressed environmental concerns. Programs aimed at protecting secondary forests and increasing their areas are needed to offset the 42% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions that come from land-use change. To produce more beef with less environmental impact, cattle ranchers need to use their land more productively. Thus, public policy initiatives need to combat deforestation and preserve the environment and local communities, while sustainably intensifying Brazil’s beef production.

Keywords: Amazon; beef; Brazil; deforestation; environmental impacts; greenhouse gases; livestock intensification strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/4801/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/4801/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:4801-:d:1091266

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().