Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito

The report finds that only 15% of Brazilian family farmers access credit, with significant disparities based on property size, region, and crop type. While Pronaf accounts for 73% of rural credit contracts, it represents only 14% of the total volume of resources. Access is heavily concentrated in the South region and among larger family properties, while small-scale producers and those in the North region remain largely excluded. The authors argue for a revision of the outdated 'fiscal module' eligibility criteria and the integration of sustainability requirements to support a low-carbon agricultural transition.

• Access to rural credit among family farmers is low and unevenly distributed, with only 15% of family farmers obtaining credit. This access varies by property size: 20% of producers with 10 to 100 hectares access credit, compared to only 10% for those with up to four hectares.
• There are stark regional disparities in credit access and value. In the South region, 29% of family farmers access credit, whereas only 9% do so in the North. Furthermore, the average value per hectare for Pronaf contracts in the South (R$ 1,451) is 18 times higher than in the North (R$ 83).
• Pronaf dominates the number of rural credit contracts but represents a small fraction of the total financial volume. In 2022, Pronaf accounted for 73% of all rural credit contracts (1.4 million) but only 14% of the total volume of resources.
• Credit is heavily concentrated in specific crops, primarily grains. Corn, wheat, and soy receive the most financing, with Pronaf representing over 40% of the sales value for these products. Conversely, Pronaf represents less than 10% of the sales value for key family agriculture products such as cassava, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, pineapple, orange, and açaí.
• The 'fiscal module' (módulo fiscal) used to determine Pronaf eligibility is outdated, having been defined in the 1980s. Because it does not reflect current productivity, it creates distortions where producers with the same amount of land may be classified differently depending on their municipality.
• The report recommends revising Pronaf eligibility criteria and incorporating sustainability requirements, such as restrictions for producers with environmental embargos, to promote a low-carbon transition and strengthen lines like Pronaf Agroecology and Pronaf Bioeconomy.

APA

Souza, P., & de Albuquerque, A. (2023). Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agricultura-Familiar-Brasileira.pdf

Chicago

Souza, Priscila, and Amanda de Albuquerque. Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito. Climate Policy Initiative, 2023. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agricultura-Familiar-Brasileira.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Souza |first1=Priscila |last2=de Albuquerque |first2=Amanda |title=Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=November 2023 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agricultura-Familiar-Brasileira.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{souza2023agricultura, author = {Souza, Priscila and de Albuquerque, Amanda}, title = {{Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agricultura-Familiar-Brasileira.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }