Insight Focus
Brazil uses just a third of its land agriculturally. Despite this limited use, it ranks among the world’s top food producers. Environmental laws, sustainable practices and improved management help protect soils and ecosystems.
Brazilian farmers are seeing measurable yield improvements through regenerative practices such as crop rotation, direct planting and crop-livestock-forestry integration. These techniques are transforming the way soil, crops and livestock are managed, leading to healthier soils and more resilient production systems.
Soybeans, one of the flagship crops of Brazilian agriculture, are a good example. Yields have increased nearly 20% in the last 10 years. In the current harvest, they are expected to reach 3,600 kilograms/ha, according to Conab.
Source: Conab
Other crops important to Brazilian agricultural production, such as coffee and cotton, have also seen productivity increases. Cotton yield, in turn, has grown approximately 26% over the last 10 years, according to Conab.
Source: Conab
Even coffee, which has experienced structural issues globally that have created supply deficits, has performed well in Brazil. Between 2005 and 2025, coffee yields almost doubled to about 30 bags/ha.
Source: Conab
These productivity gains coincided with changes in the way land was farmed. Although there has always been some semblance of sustainable practices used in Brazil, formal adoption of regenerative practices began in around 2010. Since then, huge strides have been made in terms of yield improvement.
Source: Conab
These productivity gains coincided with changes in the way land was farmed. Although there has always been some semblance of sustainable practices used in Brazil, formal adoption of regenerative practices began in around 2010. Since then, huge strides have been made in terms of yield improvement.
Brazil Leads in Sustainable Agriculture
These productivity gains on existing farmland illustrate how Brazil can scale agricultural output without expanding into new land.
By adopting regenerative practices and boosting yields on existing farmland, Brazil has strengthened its position as an agricultural powerhouse, producing and exporting large volumes of grains, coffee, sugarcane and cotton, while also hosting one of the largest livestock herds in the world.
Source: USDA
What few people realise is that agriculture takes up only about a third of the country’s territory. According to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), 282.5 million hectares are dedicated to agriculture, equivalent to 33% of the country’s total area.
Of this total, approximately 20% is pastureland and 7% is used for crops such as soybeans, sugarcane and coffee. At the same time, most of Brazil’s territory remains covered by native vegetation. Forests, sandbanks, mangroves and other biomes occupy about 60% of the country’s territory.
A quarter of this land cover is located on rural properties. Thanks to environmental legislation, producers are required to preserve between 20% and 80% of native forest. This is called the Legal Reserve, established by the Forest Code, which defines limits for land occupation.
Crop Rotation Strengthens Soil and Grain Output
Crop diversification is another important pillar linking land use in Brazil with environmental conservation. This strategy, already well established in Brazilian agriculture, contributes to soil enrichment and reduces pest incidence, making the soil more fertile.
The combination of soybeans and corn, widely adopted in different regions, is fundamental. While soybeans enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen, corn provides plant cover after harvest, protecting the soil against erosion and moisture loss.
Another important point: producers today do not use all their soybean acreage for corn, opting instead for broader crop diversification. On average, only 34% of soybean acreage is typically used for second-crop corn. On the remaining 66%, producers grow crops such as cowpeas, peanuts, sesame and sorghum.
Source: Conab
Many farmers adopt a field rotation system, in which only part of the area is planted while the rest remains fallow. This practice brings important benefits, such as preventing erosion and preserving soil structure, while also contributing to productivity gains.
Crop diversification has also been important for increasing grain and other food production in Brazil, especially in the second harvest—grown after the soybean harvest.
Source: Conab
Crop rotation, crop diversification, and regenerative agriculture should lead Brazil to new levels of agricultural production. The financial returns are also beginning to be measured.
A study by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Boston Consulting Group indicates that in the Cerrado, a grain production hub, regenerative practices could generate USD 20 billion per year for the country’s GDP by 2050. The study considers the restoration of degraded areas and increased agricultural production.
The key is to increase productivity while simultaneously restoring the land, contributing to environmental preservation.
Direct Planting Covers 33 Million Hectares in Brazil
Direct planting is also one of the techniques with the widest reach. In this system, straw—composed of plant residue from crops—is used as mulch, protecting the soil from direct sunlight and reducing the need for tilling during sowing.
The technique is used on more than 33 million hectares in Brazil, according to the Brazilian Federation of Direct Planting (FEBRAPDP). “We intend to encourage the expanded use of the system,” says Jônadan Ma, president of the organisation.
Among the main initiatives, an international event is planned: the third World Meeting of the Direct Planting System, to be held next July in BrasÃlia, in partnership with Embrapa.
The meeting is expected to bring together approximately 1,200 rural producers and experts, as well as international sustainable agriculture organisations. Topics will include the achievements and challenges of no-till farming, along with strategies to expand the system’s adoption.
Crop-Livestock-Forestry Boosts Sustainability
Another sustainable land-use strategy gaining prominence is the crop-livestock-forestry system (ILPF, from the Portuguese acronym). In this model, agriculture and livestock are managed on the same land through rotation or intercropping.
Crop-livestock-forest integration system. Photo courtesy of Embrapa.
Furthermore, much of the native vegetation is preserved—even beyond the minimum limits required by law—to provide shade for livestock and support crops that require less sunlight.
This system increases biodiversity, promotes soil regeneration, and develops more fertile pastures, all of which also protect the soil. Today, it is used on approximately 17.5 million hectares—double the area from 10 years ago—according to the Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration Network, an association formed by Embrapa, cooperatives, and agribusiness companies. The network, created in 2006, aims to encourage the use of this technique.
A new phase of studies, led by Embrapa, has demonstrated the system’s impact in reducing greenhouse gases and generating other environmental benefits. The practical results have encouraged rural producers to invest more in the system, fostering a positive cycle of sustainability.
Additionally, Embrapa launched an app in July offering guidance and technical information about the system, aiming to support the planning and sustainable management of agricultural properties.
