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This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of Brazil's ABC Recuperação credit line in recovering degraded pastures, focusing on the Cerrado biome. Using satellite imagery and econometric analysis of operations between 2016 and 2018, the study finds that the credit's impact on pasture recovery is modest, with severe degradation remaining largely unchanged and some pasture being converted to crops rather than recovered. The report highlights the critical role of technical assistance and soil type in achieving results and suggests that the program contributed minimally to the ABC Plan's 2020 recovery targets.

The report identifies the Caatinga biome in Northeast Brazil as highly vulnerable to climate change, with family farmers bearing the brunt of climate risks. It finds that increased aridity leads to disproportionately high productivity losses in beans, corn, and cattle compared to other Brazilian biomes. Beyond agricultural losses, the report establishes a correlation between increased aridity and worsening socioeconomic indicators, including higher poverty rates, increased child mortality, higher school delay rates, and rising unemployment.

This report examines the high climate risk faced by rural producers in Brazil's Caatinga biome, highlighting that family farmers—who make up 79% of rural properties—are the most vulnerable. It finds that increased aridity leads to significant productivity losses in corn, beans, and livestock, while also correlating with severe long-term social impacts, including higher infant mortality, school delays, and poverty.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio provides a baseline analysis of smallholders in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes to inform a 'rural just transition.' It highlights the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of small-scale farmers, the disparities in productivity and resource access between the two biomes, and the need for tailored policies that integrate social dimensions with climate mitigation to ensure that the transition to sustainable agriculture does not exacerbate existing inequalities.

This report maps family farmers in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, highlighting a stark divide in productivity and vulnerability. While Cerrado farmers have larger plots and higher yields, Caatinga farmers face extreme poverty, high illiteracy (over 50%), and a heavy reliance on subsistence farming and cisterns for water. The report argues that a 'just rural transition' must move beyond generic agricultural policies to provide targeted social support for the most vulnerable and 'leapfrog' technological opportunities for those interested in commercializing sustainable, low-carbon produce.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative provides a baseline analysis of smallholders in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes to inform a 'rural just transition.' It highlights significant disparities in productivity, resource access, and socioeconomic vulnerability between the two regions, arguing that a one-size-fits-all agricultural policy is insufficient. The analysis emphasizes that smallholders in the Caatinga are particularly prone to poverty and subsistence farming, while those in the Cerrado are more integrated into commercial markets, though both face barriers to adopting sustainable, low-carbon production methods.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impacts of rural credit on agricultural production and land use across Brazilian biomes between 2002 and 2018. It finds that increased credit availability generally boosts productivity and can reduce deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado, by shifting land use from pasture to crops.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impact of rural credit on agricultural production and land use across Brazilian biomes from 2002 to 2018. It finds that increased credit supply generally boosts agricultural production and productivity while reducing deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado, by shifting land use from pasture to crops.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the adoption of three agricultural intensification technologies in Brazil between 2006 and 2017: the Direct Planting System (DPS), tractors, and fertilizers. Using data from Brazil's 2017 Agricultural Census, the study identifies divergent spatial patterns of adoption, noting that while DPS is becoming more widespread, tractor use is becoming more concentrated in wealthier regions, and fertilizer use is increasing without a clear spatial pattern.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes land use efficiency in Brazil, arguing that agricultural productivity can be increased and greenhouse gas emissions reduced without further deforestation. It highlights the potential of converting degraded pasturelands into croplands and examines successful historical examples of land use change, such as the soybean revolution and the implementation of the PPCDAm to combat Amazon deforestation. The document identifies key barriers to efficiency, including poor infrastructure, insecure land rights, and the need for better technology dissemination, while emphasizing the importance of enforcing the Brazilian Forest Code on private lands.

This case study describes how farmers in the Caatinga region of Brazil, specifically in Pintadas, Bahia, are adopting agroforestry by cultivating native trees like the umbu to diversify income and build resilience against climate change and desertification.