Search Climate Insights Directory

A study of irrigated and rainfed cropland in the Brazilian Cerrado found that while fields acted as carbon sinks during crop development, they became net carbon sources when accounting for harvest removals and emissions from soil preparation and stubble periods.

This policy brief evaluates progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) goal of eliminating deforestation from agricultural commodities. It reports that while commodity-driven deforestation rates have declined since a 2016 peak, the 2020 target for ending agriculture-driven deforestation was not met, and current rates remain similar to those seen before 2014.

The Climate Policy Initiative warns that Brazil faces a potential cessation of official deforestation data for the Cerrado biome starting in April 2022 due to a lack of guaranteed funding for the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the rural credit market in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, highlighting a concentration of financial flows toward large-scale producers and soy production, while noting a scarcity of credit for small and medium-sized family farmers.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the characteristics of rural credit in the Brazilian Cerrado biome. It highlights a significant concentration of financial flows toward large producers and the expansion of soybean production, contrasting this with limited credit access for small and medium-sized family farmers. The study also notes a growing trend of private financing sources, although public banks continue to dominate the distribution of credit.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the rural credit market in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, highlighting a significant concentration of financial flows toward large-scale producers and soy production, contrasted with limited credit access for small and medium-sized family farmers.

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 white paper examines the inverse relationship between pastureland size and cattle productivity in Brazil. It finds that higher land prices and better access to capital incentivize ranchers to intensify production or switch to crops, thereby reducing the need for forest clearing. The authors recommend policies that combat illegal deforestation, remove bottlenecks to agricultural modernization, and improve credit access to promote sustainable beef production.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the relationship between livestock productivity and pasture area in Brazil. It argues that increasing productivity is essential to grow meat production without further deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado, identifying a negative correlation where smaller pasture proportions often relate to higher productivity.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative argues that strengthening command and control mechanisms, specifically through technological innovation in monitoring and law enforcement, is essential to combating illegal deforestation in Brazil. It highlights the success of the DETER system in the Amazon and proposes expanding these capabilities to other biomes and smaller-scale deforestation.

This white paper by the Climate Policy Initiative argues that strengthening environmental command and control—specifically through technological monitoring and law enforcement—is essential for Brazil to combat illegal deforestation, protect its native vegetation, and maintain its international agribusiness competitiveness.

This technical report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the intersection of rural credit and environmental protection in Brazil. It argues that while Brazil has successfully modernized its agriculture and reduced deforestation, the current financial system is overly complex, dominated by public banks, and lacks sufficient risk management tools. The authors propose a phased transition to align financial incentives with the 2012 Forest Code, increase private sector participation, and shift public subsidies toward the provision of public goods and insurance instruments.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative and SITAWI examines the potential for green bonds to finance sustainable agriculture in Brazil. While Brazil is a global agricultural powerhouse with established government credit programs, green bond issuance in the land-use sector has been dominated by the forestry industry. The document identifies barriers for small producers and suggests that securitization of agricultural receivables (CRAs) and bank-led green bonds could expand financing for eco-efficiency, soil health, and sustainable crop production.

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.

The Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF) is a financial instrument designed to reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado by providing low-cost loans to soy and corn producers who utilize previously cleared and degraded lands rather than expanding into native vegetation.

The Climate Smart Cattle Ranching (CSCR) initiative, proposed by Naturevest and The Nature Conservancy, is a blended finance model designed to increase the supply of deforestation-free beef from the Brazilian Amazon. The project establishes a 'New Company' to provide long-term co-investment and technical assistance to mid-sized ranchers, specifically targeting those who lack formal land titles and are unable to access traditional commercial credit. By implementing Embrapa’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and ensuring compliance with the Brazilian Forest Code, the initiative aims to intensify livestock production on degraded pastures, thereby reducing the pressure to deforest and lowering the emissions intensity of beef production.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) argues that increasing agricultural productivity in Brazil is a viable strategy for mitigating climate change and reducing deforestation. By analyzing four historical drivers of productivity, the document demonstrates that technological innovation and policy improvements can shift agricultural expansion away from forests and toward underutilized pasture lands.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) argues that Brazil can increase agricultural production without increasing deforestation by improving the productivity of already cleared lands, particularly by transitioning underused cattle pastures to crop production.

This executive summary describes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio's Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas, under the INPUT project, regarding the economic impacts of agricultural expansion in the MATOPIBA region of Brazil. The research focuses on the growth of grain production, specifically soy and corn, and its effects on local municipalities within the Cerrado biome compared to those outside it.