Brazilian Crops in the Global Market: The Emergence of Brazil as a World Agribusiness Exporter Since 1950

This book comprehensively examines the development of Brazilian agriculture by focusing on the crops which evolved from national products to international commodities on a massive scale. It traces the transformation of Brazil from a country with low-yield levels in 1950 to its current position as a leading world producer.

The first section of the book examines the modernization of Brazilian agriculture through a government programme which transformed traditional agriculture through subsidized credit, guaranteed prices, stock purchases, land utilization laws, modern research, new technology and major support for exports. It also explores the changing structures of agricultural production and farm ownership over time, analysing national censuses from 1920 to 2017 to illustrate the increasing efficiency of Brazil’s agricultural workers. The book then discusses the history and evolution of the major Brazilian crops in detail, starting with the newer export crops such as soybeans, maize and cotton, before focusing on the traditional sugar and coffee industries. The final section of the book examines two other major areas of agroindustry: forestry and the evolution of the pastoral industries, as well as the growth of a meat exporting sector. The authors also explore questions of sustainability in the context of today’s climate challenges, and the role of Brazilian agriculture in the world market going forward. This wide-ranging study will be of interest to a range of academics, including those working in agricultural economics, economic history, the history of Latin America and the history of agriculture more broadly.

Herbert S. Klein is Gouverneur Morris Emeritus Professor of History at Columbia University, and was formerly Professor of History and Director of the Center for Latin American studies at Stanford University (2005-2011). Currently he is Latin American Curator and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University. Aside from his earlier work on the Atlantic Slave Trade and African Slavery in the Americas, and Spanish Royal Finance he has published extensively on Bolivian and United States history.

Francisco Vidal Luna holds a Phd in Economics from the Universidade de São Paulo and was a professor in the Faculdade de Economia e Administração (FEA) of USP from 1973 to 1997. He has also served as the Secretary of Planning in both the State government of São Paulo, and in the city government of São Paulo and was Secretary of Economics in the Planning Ministry of the Federal Government.