Cerrado

by Sérgio Granato de Araújo

  

Executive Summary: Brazil, a Global Agri Powerhouse

 

As the world searches for ways to feed a growing population without expanding deforestation, one country sits at the center of the debate: Brazil.  Few nations combine vast agricultural resources, technological innovation, and room for further expansion on the scale Brazil does today.

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Brazil has roughly 152.5 million hectares of land suitable for agriculture, yet only 62.5 million hectares are currently cultivated. By comparison, major producers already farm much larger shares of their territory.  The U.S. cultivates about 165 million hectares (ha), India 145 million ha, China 139 million ha, and Russia 117 million ha.  According to Embrapa, another 28.3 million ha of existing pastureland, mainly in Mato Grosso (MT) and Goiás (GO), could shift to crops without additional deforestation, representing an expansion of roughly 35% of Brazil’s current cultivated area.

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Brazil’s agricultural rise did not occur simply because land was available.  A decisive factor was the work of Embrapa, which spent decades solving a problem few countries had faced: how to farm efficiently in the acidic soils and tropical climate of the Cerrado.  Through advances in plant breeding, soil correction, and tropical agronomy, Embrapa helped transform an ecosystem once viewed as unsuitable for agriculture into one of the most productive farming regions in the world.

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This expanding production capacity now intersects with global trade dynamics.  The EU–Mercosur Trade Agreement could reinforce Brazil’s role as a major supplier of agricultural commodities by expanding preferential access to a market of more than 440 million consumers.  Although some exports remain subject to quotas and stricter sustainability requirements, the agreement broadly favors competitive producers and may increase Brazilian agri-exports, particularly in sectors such as beef, sugar, and ethanol.

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Cerrado

 

Located in central Brazil & spanning around 2 million km², the Cerrado is the country’s 2nd-largest biome and one of the most important Agricultural Frontiers in the world.  The "Brazilian Savannah" is by far the main driver of BR’s agribusiness, with large-scale production of soybeans, corn, cotton & livestock.  Also, the region is strategic for water (w/ key river headwaters), minerals for tech metals, energy & biodiversity.

  

The predominantly flat topography of the BR’s Cerrado, particularly in Mato Grosso (MT), notably in the state’s Northern (N) & Central-West (C-W) regions, are key enablers of regional agribusiness, supporting large-scale mechanization, expansion of crop areas (notably grains), and intensive livestock production.  These advantages are reinforced by high radiation & regular rainfall, which create favorable conditions for year-round crop production and stable pasture development.

 

Agribusiness

  

As one of the leading agricultural frontiers globally, the Cerrado accounts for a substantial share of BR’s grain production, particularly soybeans (notably MT), corn (MT), sorghum (GO) & cotton (MT).  The biome has been a cornerstone to Brazil’s rise as a global AGRI & BIOENERGY POWERHOUSE, concentrating large portions of the country’s soybean output and playing a decisive role in beef & poultry supply chains.

  

It also hosts major industry players, such as JBS (world’s largest animal protein producer), and is a leading hub for sugarcane and ethanol (GO & MG), as well as dairy & coffee production (MG).  Figure 1 shows BR’s biomes, highlighting the Cerrado (left side), and the spatial distribution of soybean cultivation (right side).  Figure 2 shows the agricultural production ranking in Brazil by value (2024), with the Cerrado contributing 55–60% of Brazil’s grain production (MT + GO alone ≈ 42–43%).