Agricultura Familiar Brasileira: Desigualdades no Acesso ao Crédito

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes inequalities in access to rural credit for family farmers in Brazil, focusing on the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf). It finds that credit access is limited and unevenly distributed, favoring larger properties, the South region, and grain production, while smaller producers and those in the North and Northeast regions remain largely excluded.

• Access to rural credit among family farmers is low and varies significantly by property size. Only 15% of family farmers obtain credit; specifically, 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 the volume of resources distributed. In the South region, 29% of family farmers access credit, whereas only 9% do so in the North region. Furthermore, the average Pronaf contract value per hectare in the South (R$ 1,451) is 18 times higher than in the North (R$ 83).
• Credit is heavily concentrated in specific products, particularly grains, while other family farming staples receive minimal support. Corn, wheat, and soy receive the most financing, with Pronaf representing over 40% of their sales value. Conversely, Pronaf represents less than 10% of the sales value for products such as cassava, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, pineapple, orange, and açaí.
• While Pronaf accounts for a large number of rural credit contracts, it represents a small fraction of the total financial volume. In 2022, Pronaf contracts made up 73% of all rural credit contracts but only 14% of the total volume of resources, highlighting a funding gap compared to corporate agriculture.
• The use of 'fiscal modules' (módulos fiscais) to determine Pronaf eligibility is outdated and creates distortions. These units, defined in the 1980s, do not reflect current productivity and vary between 5 and 110 hectares, meaning producers with the same amount of land may be classified differently depending on their municipality.
• The report recommends revising Pronaf eligibility criteria and integrating sustainability requirements to support a low-carbon transition. It suggests updating fiscal modules and strengthening credit lines linked to the ABC+ Plan, such as Pronaf Agroecology and Pronaf Bioeconomy, while restricting credit for producers with environmental embargos.

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} }