Brazil is the fourth largest grain producer and the largest beef exporter in the world

A study prepared by the Secretariat of Intelligence and Strategic Relations (Sire) on Brazil's exports over the last two decades reveals that the country has gained important positions in the international market, both in the production and export of products. Entitled Agro in Brazil and in the World: a summary of the period from 2000 to 2020, the survey points out that the country is the fourth largest producer of grains (rice, barley, soy, corn and wheat) in the world, behind only China, the United States and India, accounting for 7,8% of world production . In 2020, it produced 239 million and exported 123 million tons of grain.

The data were obtained from the platform FAOSTAT,  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the period from 2000 to 2020, with emphasis on the last year. The authors of the study are physicist and Data Science analyst Adalberto Aragão and researcher Elísio Contini.

Although it is the fourth largest grain producer, Brazil is the second largest exporter in the world, with 19% of the international market. In the last 20 years, exports reached more than 1,1 billion tons, which represented 12,6% of total exports worldwide. “The data shows the evolution and positioning of the international production and commercialization of Brazilian agriculture. Soy, corn, cotton and meat are the most dynamic products due to growing external demand. The perspective is that they should continue in the coming years. Population growth and rising incomes in the world are the driving forces behind global demand, mainly in Asia, particularly China and, in the near future, India”, says Contini.

Brazilian exports reached US$37 billion, in 2020 alone, and US$419 billion, between 2000 and 2020. "The purpose of the study is to present the Brazilian production and export performance of grains, meat, fruits and forestry products, in the last two decades. We work with a time frame from 2000 to 2020, using data from the FAOSTAT system and making mathematical estimates for the 2020 results”, explains Adalberto Aragão.

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From 2000 to 2020, the country was the second largest producer and exporter of soybeans. As of last year, it reached first place, with 126 million tons produced and 84 million exported. Brazil currently accounts for 50% of global soybean trade. Brazilian grain exports totaled US$30 billion in 2020, and US$346 billion in the last two decades. On the other hand, rice production continues to be a challenge, as since 2000 the production volume has remained practically the same, with no significant increases. China and India continue to be the world's largest producers of the grain. Brazil occupies ninth place, but its production is aimed at the domestic market. Only 2% was exported in 2020.

In 2020, the country ranked third in world corn production, with 100 million tons (8,2% of the total), surpassed only by the United States and China. In recent decades, Brazil's relative position has not changed when considering grain production, but it has grown in terms of exports.

In 2020, Brazilian corn producers exported 38 million tons, that is, 19,8% of total exports of the product, being the second largest exporter of the grain, behind only the United States. Last year alone, domestic corn exports totaled US$ 6 billion.

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Brazil is the fourth largest producer of beans in the world, but it is not among the largest exporters, most of the production is destined for domestic consumption. China, India and Myanmar were the largest bean producers in the world, accounting for more than 60% of all production in 2020.

“Products such as rice and beans, which historically met domestic consumption in Brazil, have shown stagnant production. Its growth basically depends on the evolution of the Brazilian population, today with low rates. Additionally, they are basic products of the Brazilian population, but of low demand when income increases. Rice started exporting last year to some countries with a production deficit. But the world's major rice producers protect their market, including subsidies, which also impacts our production and exports”, explains Elísio Contini.

With regard to cotton, the study showed that although the country occupies the fifth position in production, when analyzing the Brazilian performance over the last 20 years, an increase in production can be seen, as well as in the export of the product. In 2020, the country was the fourth largest producer of cotton and the second largest exporter, behind only the United States.

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In 2020, the Brazilian cattle herd was the largest in the world, representing 14,3% of the world herd, with 217 million head, followed by India with 190 million head. Although the country is the largest producer of cattle in the world, when we add the production of poultry and pork, the country occupies the third position in the world in the international market, with a production that corresponds to 9,2%, in 2020, or 29 million tons, behind China and the United States.

But in terms of exported meat (beef, pork and poultry), in 2020, Brazil took second place, with 7,4 million tons or 13,4% of the world total.

Between 2000 and 2020, Brazilian meat exports generated US$265 billion. However, when focusing on beef, the country, in 2020, was the largest meat exporter in the world, with 2,2 million tons and 14,4% of the international market. Next come Australia, the United States and India. “When we talk about cattle herds separately, the study observed that the country, in 2020, became the one with the largest herd in the world and also the largest exporter”, explained Contini.

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Chicken meat is considered an important food for domestic consumption and exports. Brazil has the fourth largest chicken herd in the world, with 5,6% of the total in 2020, or 1,5 billion head.

The three largest herds stand out: China (19,2%), Indonesia (14,7%) and the United States (7,5%).

The United States, despite having the third largest flock of chickens, when it comes to chicken meat production, in 2020, led with 16,7%, followed by Brazil with 11,8% (14 million tons) and China with 11,7% of world production.

In 2020, Brazil became the largest exporter of poultry meat with 4,3 million tons (20,9%) and in second place the United States with 18,2% of the total volume exported. In 2020, Brazilian exports of poultry meat generated US$ 6,6 billion.

In relation to the last 20 years, the United States and Brazil lost share. The Netherlands, Thailand and Poland gained importance.

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Regarding pigs, Brazil, in 2020, reached third place in the world in production, with 41 million heads, that is, 4,4% of the total. The highlight is China with 41,1% of the world herd, followed by the United States (8,4%). “China has managed to overcome African Swine Fever and continues to lead pig production in the world, but its consumption is mainly destined for the domestic market”, explains researcher Elísio Contini.

Regarding pork exports, in 2020, Germany and the United States led with shares above 15% of the total each. Brazil was the 7th place in 2020 and the 8th in the last two decades, with participation below 5%.

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In 2020, Brazil was the third largest fruit producer in the world, with 58 million tons of fruit produced, 5,4% of the world total. The main producers were China with 28,1%, followed by India with 11,5%, both with growth in world participation.

“However, when we analyze the time frame from 2000 to 2020, we observe that Brazil has been losing share in the world market for fruit producers and remained the 11th exporter in this same period”, analyze the authors of the study. “The dynamics of Brazilian agriculture is in exports. In the case of fruit exports, Brazil has been evolving, but with little dynamism if we look at the potential for international trade. Natural fruits, for the rich Northern Hemisphere, are billion-dollar business opportunities, not adequately explored by the country. Add to this the impact on healthy nutrition for global consumers”, assesses Elísio Contini, one of the authors of the article “Export healthy diets” which addresses the topic.

Among the countries that most exported fruit are Spain, Ecuador, United States, China, Costa Rica, Holland, Italy, Belgium, Philippines and South Africa. Although Chile is not among the largest exporters, it is among the countries that generated the most resources from fruit exports, which demonstrates the high added value of the Chilean product.

Brazil exported US$3 billion worth of fruit in 2020 and US$60 billion between 2000 and 2020.

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The Brazilian participation in world production has increased in relation to recent years. Brazil was in fact the world's largest sugar producer, with 1/3 of world production, followed by India with 17%.

In coffee production (in grains), in 2020, Brazil led with 30,3% of the total, or 3,1 million tons. It maintained its relative share of recent years. In second place was Vietnam, with 16,9% and with growth in relation to the last two decades. Colombia slightly increased its share in production.

Brazil was responsible for more than a quarter (25,5%) of world coffee exports, selling 2 million tons, followed by Vietnam with 20,2% and Colombia with 10,7%.

The same situation can be observed with sugar, the country was, in 2020, the world's largest sugar producer, with 1/3 of world production, followed by India with 17%. And it also established itself as the largest exporter, with 22 million tons last year, equivalent to 30% of world exports.