Country agriculture profile · Latin America & Caribbean
Brazil
Brazil is a global agricultural powerhouse and among the largest exporters of soybean, sugar, coffee, beef, and poultry. The opening of the acidic Cerrado savanna to large-scale rainfed grain and oilseed farming, supported by tropical-adapted research, transformed the country into a leading soybean and maize producer, frequently double-cropping within a single season. Extensive pasture-based cattle, intensive southern poultry and swine, and tropical export crops such as coffee and sugarcane complete a highly diversified sector.
Farming systems (stable overview)
Climate zones
- Tropical wet
- Tropical savanna (Cerrado)
- Semi-arid (Northeast Sertão)
- Humid subtropical (south)
Agroecological zones
- Cerrado (central savanna)
- Amazon basin
- Atlantic Forest coastal belt
- Southern subtropical plains and Pampa
Dominant crop systems
- Large-scale rainfed soybean and maize, often double-cropped (safrinha), across the Cerrado and south
- Sugarcane for sugar and ethanol in the Center-South
- Arabica coffee in the southeastern highlands
- Rainfed cotton and tropical fruit
Major livestock systems
- Extensive and semi-intensive beef cattle on pasture
- Integrated crop–livestock–forest systems
- Intensive confined poultry and swine in the south
- Dairy across the southeast and south
Irrigation: Production is overwhelmingly rainfed given generally abundant tropical rainfall; irrigation is important locally for horticulture, rice in the south, and fruit in the semi-arid Northeast river valleys.
Latest verified data
Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land | 28.33 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Arable land | 6.66 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Cereal yield | 5,002.6 | kg per hectare | 2024 |
| Cereal production | 138,980,898.51 | metric tons | 2024 |
| Crop production index | 115.91 | index (2014–2016 = 100) | 2022 |
| Agriculture value added | 5.75 | % of GDP | 2024 |
| Employment in agriculture(est.) | 7.72 | % of total employment | 2024 |
| Forest area | 58.98 | % of land area | 2023 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Cereal yield over time
Show data table
| Year | kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 4,826.4 |
| 2014 | 4,640.4 |
| 2015 | 5,000.6 |
| 2016 | 4,181.7 |
| 2017 | 5,209.6 |
| 2018 | 4,806.5 |
| 2019 | 5,321.3 |
| 2020 | 5,255.3 |
| 2021 | 4,479 |
| 2022 | 4,907.5 |
| 2023 | 5,336.5 |
| 2024 | 5,002.6 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Derived indicator
Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 23.5 % of agricultural land (2023)
Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (6.7) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (28.3). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.
Documented crops & livestock
Agricultural institutions
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) — State agricultural research corporation; central to tropical-crop and Cerrado technology.
- Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (CONAB) — National supply company; official crop production surveys and food-supply policy.
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) — National statistical institute; agricultural census and production surveys.
Data coverage & limitations
Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.
- Statistics are dated, versioned, and periodically revised; always read them with their year and dataset version.
- National statistical definitions (of agricultural land, farm, and employment) differ from those of other countries, limiting strict cross-country comparison.
- National totals span very different systems, from Amazon-frontier expansion to established southern mechanised farming, and land-use change is a significant environmental consideration.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- Authoritative
Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Global production and food-systems context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [3]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production, area, and trade statistics
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [4]Embrapa — Brazilian agricultural research corporation (opens in a new tab)High
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)
Cited for: Tropical-crop research and agronomy context
- Type:
- Research institute
- Jurisdiction:
- Brazil
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [5]USDA FAS — Foreign Agricultural Service (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Cited for: International soybean, sugar, and meat trade estimates
- Type:
- Government agency
- Jurisdiction:
- Global (U.S. perspective)
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12