Agricultural area grows in two years in Brazil and occupies 7.6% of the national territory

The agricultural area of Brazil grew 3.3% between 2016 and 2018, as shown by the Monitoring of Land Cover and Use, released on March 26 by IBGE, and available on the Interactive Geographic Platform. Since the beginning of the historical series of the survey, in 2000, the agricultural area has grown 44.8%, reaching 664,784 km² in 2018, equivalent to 7.6% of the national territory, considering the land and maritime part of the country.

Between 2000 and 2012, some 20% of the new agricultural areas were brought about by the conversion of pastures, but, as of 2012, that number rose to 53%. “Of all the changes in coverage and use that took place from 2016 to 2018, 16% was conversion from pastures with management to agricultural areas,” highlighted the Manager of Natural Resources at IBGE, Fernando Peres, explaining that such pastures are characterized by cleaning, fertilizing, herbicide application and planting.

According to the IBGE researcher, converting pastures with management to agricultural areas is a common method among Brazilian producers. “We have observed that the dynamics of occupation, both in the forest and Cerrado areas, follow a sequence. First comes the removal of native vegetation, followed by the installation of pastures and, after a few years, the implantation of agricultural areas,” he explained.

Among the regions that stand out in the growth of agricultural areas are the northeast of Mato Grosso, the cities of Santarém and Paragominas in Pará and Imperatriz, and in Maranhão, all regions saw an increase in soy planting, said Fernando.

Agricultural expansion, however, showed a slower pace than that observed in previous surveys. The greatest growth in agricultural areas was seen between 2012 and 2014, when it increased by 7%, while the lowest was between 2014 and 2016, at 3.1%.

The study also showed that in 18 years, Brazil lost 7.6% of its forest vegetation. The area, which was 4,017,505 km² in 2000, became 3,712,058 km² in 2018, equivalent to 42.4% of the territory. The countryside vegetation, which corresponds to the Cerrado, Caatinga and Pampas areas, lost 10.1% of its area during the same period.

The Monitoring of Land Cover and Use is the only geoscience study by IBGE that has a historical series since 2000, which allows the observation of the evolution and occupation patterns of the Brazilian territory. It aims to spatialize and quantify land cover at regular intervals based on systematic mapping.