Os impactos do Crédito Rural na produção agropecuária e no uso da terra

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impacts of rural credit on agricultural production and land use in Brazil from 2002 to 2017. The analysis reveals that while rural credit generally increases productivity, its environmental impact varies significantly by producer size: credit for small farmers tends to reduce deforestation pressures by intensifying production, whereas credit for large producers is associated with increased land expansion and deforestation.

• Rural credit for small farmers, specifically through the Pronaf program, increases both agricultural and livestock production and productivity while reducing deforestation pressures. A 1% increase in municipal Pronaf credit leads to a 0.09% expansion in cultivation area and a 0.12% contraction in pasture area, resulting in a 0.03% increase in forest area.
• In contrast to small farmers, rural credit for large producers increases production and productivity but also drives the expansion of cultivated lands and pastures, leading to higher levels of deforestation.
• The impact of credit on production and productivity is significantly higher for individual producers (natural persons) than for corporate entities. Corporate producers in the agricultural sector do not appear to face the same credit constraints as individuals.
• Credit intended for 'custeio' (operational expenses) and 'investimento' (capital expenses) both contribute to the conversion of pastures into cultivable land, which reduces the total area dedicated to agriculture and livestock and increases forest area. Credit for 'comercialização' (marketing/commercialization) has no relevant impact on production, productivity, or land use.
• The distribution of rural credit in Brazil is highly skewed; while the Pronaf program (for small farmers) accounts for 74% of the number of contracts, it represents only 14% of the total credit volume and 16% of the area. Conversely, corporate entities receive only 1% of loans but obtain 29% of the credit volume and cover 85% of the credited area.
• The authors recommend that Brazilian policymakers prioritize the distribution of rural credit to small producers to align subsidies with forest conservation and financial needs, suggesting that medium and large farmers can be served by non-subsidized bank credit.

APA

Assunção, J., & Souza, P. (2020). Os impactos do Crédito Rural na produção agropecuária e no uso da terra. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PB-Impactos-Credito-Rural-1.pdf

Chicago

Assunção, Juliano, and Priscila Souza. Os impactos do Crédito Rural na produção agropecuária e no uso da terra. Climate Policy Initiative, 2020. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PB-Impactos-Credito-Rural-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Assunção |first1=Juliano |last2=Souza |first2=Priscila |title=Os impactos do Crédito Rural na produção agropecuária e no uso da terra |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=March 2020 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PB-Impactos-Credito-Rural-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{assuno2020impactos, author = {Assunção, Juliano and Souza, Priscila}, title = {{Os impactos do Crédito Rural na produção agropecuária e no uso da terra}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PB-Impactos-Credito-Rural-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }