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Three Decades of Changes in Brazilian Municipalities and Their Food Production Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva

    (Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    Center for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, Brazil)

  • Mateus Batistella

    (Center for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, Brazil
    Embrapa Agricultural Informatics, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Campinas 13083-886, Brazil)

  • James D. A. Millington

    (Department of Geography, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK)

  • Emilio Moran

    (Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA)

  • Luiz A. Martinelli

    (Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13416-000, Brazil)

  • Yue Dou

    (Environmental Geography Group, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Jianguo Liu

    (Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA)

Abstract

Agricultural systems are heterogeneous across temporal and spatial scales. Although much research has investigated farm size and economic output, the synergies and trade-offs across various agricultural and socioeconomic variables are unclear. This study applies a GIS-based approach to official Brazilian census data (Agricultural Censuses of 1995, 2006, and 2017) and surveys at the municipality level to ( i ) evaluate changes in the average soybean farm size across the country and ( ii ) compare agricultural and socioeconomic outcomes (i.e., soybean yield, agricultural production value, crop production diversity, and rural labor employment) relative to the average soybean farm size. Statistical tests (e.g., Kruskal–Wallis tests and Spearman’s correlation) were used to analyze variable outcomes in different classes of farm sizes and respective Agricultural Censuses. We found that agricultural and socioeconomic outcomes are spatially correlated with soybean farm size class. Therefore, based on the concepts of trade-offs and synergies, we show that municipalities with large soybean farm sizes had larger trade-offs (e.g., larger farm size was associated with lower crop diversity), while small and medium ones manifest greater synergies. These patterns are particularly strong for analysis using the Agricultural Census of 2017. Trade-off/synergy analysis across space and time is key for supporting long-term strategies aiming at alleviating unemployment and providing sustainable food production, essential to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva & Mateus Batistella & James D. A. Millington & Emilio Moran & Luiz A. Martinelli & Yue Dou & Jianguo Liu, 2020. "Three Decades of Changes in Brazilian Municipalities and Their Food Production Systems," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:11:p:422-:d:437935
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dou, Yue & Silva, Ramon Felipe Bicudo da & Batistella, Mateus & Torres, Sara & Moran, Emilio & Liu, Jianguo, 2023. "Mapping crop producer perceptions: The role of global drivers on local agricultural land use in Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Shangzhou Song & Shaohua Wang & Huichun Ye & Yong Guan, 2022. "Exploratory Analysis on the Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Beitang Landscape in the Shangzhuang Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-22, March.

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