Discussions about the differences in agricultural land use in Brazilian states
Changes in agricultural land use varied across the study region from 1996 to
2008. In Rio Grande do Sul the most significant changes occurred for temporary crops
and pastures. Whereas the area used for pastures decreased, the area used for temporary
crops increased. It is assumed in this study that pastures probably have been converted
into planted forests and temporary crops. In this state, the areas with soybean and wheat
increased in the considered time period, whereas areas with maize decreased (Tab 5 and
6). Rice was a temporary crop whose area presented a significant increase, from
868,578 ha in 1996 to 1,065,633 ha in 2008 (Data are not presented in Tab 5 and 6).
Tab 5. Evolution of the area of various crops in LPB between 1996 and 2008
State
RS
SC
PR
SP
MG
GO
MT
MS
---- Coffee ---1996
2008
111
69
236
186
266
355
2
5
1
0
1
2
Area (1000 ha)
---- Soybean ---- ---- Maize ---1996
2008
1996 2008
1,469
1,869
708
475
130
263
526
433
2,197
3,647 2,241 2,742
525
501
1,080
930
323
636
419
564
560
1,344
499
605
635
888
182
352
832
1,731
451
988
-- Sugarcane -1996
2008
14
14
5
7
238
523
2,430 4,443
62
208
53
131
79
139
82
253
---- Wheat ---1996
2008
325
477
61
86
1,004
997
18
79
0
0
7
9
0
0
51
46
Note: The symbol “ – “ indicates no availability of data at IBGE platform at the time of the survey.
Tab 6. Changes in land areas with soybean, sugarcane and maize in Brazilian LPB from
1996 to 2008
State
GO
MT
MS
MG
SP
PR
SC
RS
Total
LPB
------ Soybean area ----------- Sugarcane area ------------ Maize area --------1996 2008 Increment 1996 2008 Increment 1996 2008 Increment
--- 1000 ha --%
--- 1000 ha --%
--- 1000 ha --%
560
1,344
140.0
53
131
147.2
499
605
21.2
635
888
39.8
79
139
75.9
182
352
93.4
832
1,731
108.1
82
253
208.5
451
988
119.1
323
636
96.9
62
208
235.5
419
564
34.6
525
501
-4.6
2,430 4,443
82.8
1,080
930
-13.9
2,197 3,647
66.0
238
523
119.7
2,241 2,742
22.4
130
263
102.3
5
7
40.0
526
433
-17.7
1,469 1,869
27.2
14
14
0.0
708
475
-32.9
6,671 10,879
63.1
2,963
5,718
93.0
6,106
7,089
16.1
In Santa Catarina, it was also observed a significant decrease in the land area
with pastures and an increase in the land area with temporary crops and forests. The
increase in the area for temporary crops is due to soybean and wheat crops. However,
there was a more consistent conversion to forests, whose total area increased 7% in
Santa Catarina. The increase of natural forests can be resultant from the advancement of
forest succession in the lands previously used for shifting cultivation. But there was also
a clear increase in the area reforested mainly with Pinus and Eucalyptus species for
timber and paper production. Southern Brazil presents 77% of the total area planted
with Pinus and Eucalyptus in Brazil and increases have been observed in this region
during the last years (ABRAF, 2009). Tree plantations of Pinus and Eucalyptus
increased in many places through the conversion of natural grassland, as in Santa
Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The increasing rate of this conversion is raising
concern, since it may also threaten the expansion of cropland to attend the growing
demand on food, as well as the maintenance in these states of traditional systems of beef
cattle and sheep raising.
Land use change in Paraná was subtle: the area used with pastures and forests
decreased slightly from 1996 to 2008, while it was observed slightly increases of
permanent and temporary crops. The increase in the area with permanent crops is
related mostly to orange cultivation (from 9,471 ha in 1996 to 19,900 ha in 2008), while
for temporary crops the increase is due to soybean, sugarcane and maize expansion (Tab
5).
Temporary crops and pasture increased in São Paulo in the same time period.
New areas cultivated with sugarcane are the main cause of the increase for temporary
crops. The decrease in areas for permanent crops was due mainly to the reduction of
coffee and maize (Tab 5) and orange cultivation (from 719,735 to 592,568 ha).
In Minas Gerais, a traditional livestock grower in Brazil, areas occupied with
pastures decreased significantly, mostly replaced with temporary and permanent crops
as well as with natural forests. Over the years, agriculture has occupied the space that
was previously used for livestock, first moving into the areas of degraded pastures.
However, from 2002 to 2004 soybean and sugarcane reached high prices, becoming an
important factor driving the land use change. Moreover, the high costs of livestock
production and the low prices for beef in the internal market during this period were
factors that contributed for the decrease of pasture areas (EMBRAPA, 2005). As the
price of meet boomed again since 2008, these trends are yet to be confirmed in the next
years. Coffee, soybean, sugarcane and maize presented significant increases of the
planted areas in Minas Gerais during the period from 1996 to 2008. However, when
compared to other states in Brazil, the total amount of land cultivated with these crops is
low.
In Goiás, pasture areas decreased while the areas for temporary crops increased
substantially. Moreover, an increase in the land area with forests can be also observed.
Soybean, sugarcane and maize were the major crops that caused the increase in the
areas for temporary crops in this state.
Pasture and natural forest areas decreased significantly in Mato Grosso, while an
expansion in areas for temporary and permanent crops and planted forests were
observed in the considered time period. Soybean, sugarcane and maize have gained
importance in land used in Mato Grosso. In this state, cotton is also an important crop,
whose cultivated area jumped from 55,155 ha to 539,586 ha. The increase in the
cultivated areas occurred at the expense of pastures and natural forests, characterizing
this state as the frontier of agricultural expansion in the region.
Land use in Mato Grosso do Sul presented an increase for temporary crops and
decrease for pasture areas. Cattle raising is the most important agricultural activity. A
small replacement of pasture by soybean, sugarcane and maize was the observed from
1996 to 2008.
In the late 1960s, the expansion of agriculture caused a significant change in
land use in Brazilian LPB. Until 1990, most cultivated areas in Paraná, Minas Gerais,
and São Paulo were used for coffee. However, large areas of these plantations were
destroyed by fire, causing major financial losses (World Water Assessment Programme,
2007). Subsequently, annual crops such as maize and soybean replaced coffee in these
areas. As a result, the land area occupied by coffee in Paraná decreased approximately
41,000 ha from 1996 to 2008, and 50,000 ha in São Paulo in the same period. But this
trend was not observed in Minas Gerais, where the land area used for coffee increased
89,000 ha from 1996 to 2008. According to the Agricultural and Livestock Secretary of
Minas Gerais State (www.agricultura.mg.gov.br. Last access: October 5, 2010), coffee
is the main product for exportation and it represents around 55% of the agribusiness
sector, explaining the increase observed for this crop in the considered time period.
Soybean presented a significant expansion in Brazilian LPB from 1996 to 2008,
going from 6,671,000 ha in 1996 to 10,879,000 ha in 2008. Research incentives from
the Brazilian Government and from the agribusiness sector have supported the
development of genetically modified soybean varieties which are more tolerant to
diseases and to extreme climatic events (Toledo et al., 2004, Oya et al., 2004). Some
other factors that contributed to the expansion of soybean areas in Brazil were the
advances on developing new management technologies simultaneously with high prices
in the international trade markets, adequate climate conditions to plant growth and the
improvement of soils by fertilization and liming.
Sugarcane areas also increased in Brazilian LPB from 1996 to 2008, particularly
in São Paulo. Climate, soils and the development of new technologies are favorable
factors responsible for high sugarcane yields in Brazil. Policies launched by the
Brazilian Government in recent years also promoted the increase in sugarcane areas
(Campelo and Michels, 2009). As an illustration, whereas in December 2007 there were
only 11 sugarcane mills operating in Mato Grosso do Sul, 76 new plants were installed
by the beginning of 2008, representing an expressive increase in the production of
processed sugarcane until 2015, when they reach their full capacity (Campelo and
Michels, 2009).
Maize areas increased significantly in Paraná, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do
Sul, Minas Gerais and Goiás. However, decreases were observed in São Paulo, Santa
Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. Maize and soybean together contribute with 80% of
the grains produced in Brazil. It is worth mentioning that soybean and maize are usually
planted in crop rotation aiming at obtaining maximum efficiency of the productive
capacity of the soil. Whereas maize is destined to the internal market, soybean is mainly
a commodity traded in the international market (EMBRAPA, 2000). Increases in
poultry production were observed for all states within LPB (Table 5), being a factor that
pushed the increase of areas cultivated with maize in most Brazilian LPB. Decreases
observed in São Paulo probably resulted from the expansion of sugarcane areas, while
in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul soybean probably replaced maize cultivation
due to droughts that severely affected maize production from 2003 to 2008 (CEPA,
2009).
The dynamics of land use with wheat presented different trends, as has been
identified in this study. The two most important wheat producers in Brazil are Paraná
and Rio Grande do Sul, respectively. Although was observed a decrease of 7,000 ha in
the area with this crop in Paraná, increases were observed in São Paulo (61,000 ha),
Santa Catarina (25,000 ha) and Rio Grande do Sul (152,000 ha). The adaptation of
wheat to the weather and soil conditions in Brazil has been an important research
subject for plant breeding programs and seed companies (EMBRAPA, 2006). As a
result, some cultivars with high yield potential have been developed, making this crop
attractive for farmers in the southern Brazilian states, besides the increase in the prices
of wheat in the last years.
While maize occupies a good share of agricultural lands in Brazilian LPB, areas
cultivated with soybean and sugarcane presented expressive increments of 63% and
93%, respectively (Tab 6). Sixty percent of the sugarcane produced in Brazil is located
in São Paulo, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, and according to the Brazilian Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (www.agricultura.gov.br/vegetal. Last access:
October 27, 2011), the country is the world leader in ethanol production from
sugarcane, being responsible for supplying more than half of the sugar traded in the
world. It is expected a further increase in sugarcane production in the next years due to
the availability of arable land and the technology employed for the production.
In the last three decades, soybean production increased expressively in Brazil,
accounting 49% of the cropland area and Brazilian industry converts 30.7 million tons
of soybeans per year, producing 5.8 million tons of edible oil and 23.5 million tons of
protein bran, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply
(www.agricultura.gov.br/vegetal. Last access: October 27, 2011). Increasing yields are
associated to technological advances and to the management and efficiency of farmers,
and also to the international trade market, since soybean is an important commodity for
Brazilian economy.
Significant increases in poultry production were observed from 1996 to 2008 in
Brazilian LPB, especially in Paraná, Santa Catarina, Goiás and São Paulo (Table 7). In
Brazil, the industrial poultry production started in the middle of 1950s in São Paulo,
expanding later to other Southern states. The exportation of chicken has increased since
2000, when it reached one billion dollars in exchange revenue in the mentioned year
(ABEF, 2010). According to ABEF (2010), the domestic per capita consumption of
chicken jumped from 22 kg per year in 1996 to 39 kg per year in 2008, characterizing
an important change in the alimentary habits of Brazilian population. Since the
beginning of the industrial poultry in Brazil, the production chain has been modernized
to reduce costs and increase the productivity, becoming one of the most profitable
activities in the Brazilian economy.
Tab 7. Livestock production in 1996 and 2008 in the Brazilian LPB
State
PR
MT
MS
SC
GO
RS
MG
SP
------- Cattle ------1996
2008
8,841
8,414
5,245
6,998
20,756
22,196
1,773
1,812
8,251
9,463
6,286
5,651
5,236
5,494
12,342
11,285
Number of animals (x1000)
------- Swine ------1996
2008
3,399
4,272
209
450
540
953
3,072
4,594
653
1,092
1,461
1,735
581
1,458
1,793
1,669
------- Poultry ------1996
2008
85,908
204,538
9,781
16,361
11,884
23,841
53,601
101,117
15,327
48,106
12,916
14,837
17,267
24,798
134,147
207,853
Intensive transformations remarked Brazilian cattle production in the last
decades, resulted mainly from the application of modern production techniques (such as
pasture rotation management, improvement of animal disease prevention and control,
recovery of soil fertility in degraded pasture areas) aiming to keep this activity being
profitable in face of the expansion of poultry production. In Brazilian LPB, increases in
cattle production occurred in Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do
Sul.
Swine production in Brazil is an important economic activity mostly in the
southern part of the country. However, in the last decade swine production has
expanded rapidly to other states, such as Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Besides this expansion, the structure for swine production has changed dramatically in
the last three decades from a small and subsistence model to a large and concentrated
range of operations for animal feeding. This trend intended to reduce the cost of
production and logistics for farmers and meat processors. The increases in maize and
soybean production in Brazil and the investment in new technologies are the major
factors driving swine production and decreasing the costs comparing to other countries,
such as China and the United States (Gonçalves and Palmeira, 2006).
The presented data clearly show that the expansion of animal production have
impacted on the dynamics of land use change in Brazilian LPB. It is also worth
mentioning that this expansion and its magnitude are important aspects to be considered
when evaluating their significance for the climate system since they might contribute to
global warming through the emission of greenhouse gases, particularly nitrous oxide,
from the disposal of waste.