Brazil has vast natural resources that carry immense potential for the country’s economic and environmental goals. As in many other nations, there is frequent tension between these goals, compounded by rising pressures from increasing global demand for food, along with climate change risk. Using land efficiently is crucial to achieve both sets of goals. Yet, the promotion of efficient land use still stands as a great challenge.

A Production and Protection strategy is an integrated approach towards land use intended to help address these challenges. This report applies a Production and Protection framework to Brazil to understand where land can be used more efficiently across important sectors within the country.

We find that there is ample scope for enhanced protection of natural resources and growth of agricultural production in Brazil within a Production and Protection framework. From a protection standpoint, the country would benefit from developing mechanisms that significantly drive up the private cost of clearing native vegetation, as well as through the advancement of market-based incentives that promote sustainable practices. From a production standpoint, there is room to increase Brazilian agricultural production via productivity gains, at no apparent cost to environmental conservation.

Material em português: Produção e Proteção: Importantes Desafios para o Brasil