Groundbreaking project will map the contribution of agriculture to Santa Catarina's GDP.

Santa Catarina will take an unprecedented step by systematically measuring, based on consistent technical data, the weight of agribusiness in its economy. The project, coordinated by the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning of Epagri (Cepa), will calculate the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Santa Catarina's agribusiness using methodologies already established in the country, adapted to the state's specific production characteristics and based on updated and compatible data. 

According to the president of Epagri, Dirceu Leite, the initiative fills a historical gap in Santa Catarina's economic statistics, by allowing an integrated measurement of agro-industrial chains and improving the planning and formulation of public policies.

With a planned duration of six years (three phases of two years each), the project, in its first stage, is funded by the Foundation for Research and Innovation of the State of Santa Catarina (Fapesc), through the CP 44/2025 Call for Proposals. In this initial phase, the objective is to adapt already consolidated methodologies to the reality of Santa Catarina and to carry out a preliminary calculation of the contribution of agribusiness to the state economy.  

The study, in addition to agricultural production within the farm gate, also incorporates the input, agro-industry, transportation, commerce, and other service sectors directly linked to the agricultural production chains, offering a more complete view of the sector's economic weight in the state. "The project is relevant given the strategic role of agribusiness in Santa Catarina, one of the pillars of the state's economy. Despite its importance in generating income, jobs, and exports, Santa Catarina still needs its own periodic and updated system that allows it to measure the sector's participation in the state economy," reinforces President Dirceu.

Andréa Castelo Branco, a Socioeconomic Analyst at Epagri/Cepa, explains that academic surveys have already sought to measure the agribusiness sector's contribution to Santa Catarina's GDP over the last few decades, with results highlighting the sector's weight in the state's economy. These studies indicate that agribusiness accounted for significant portions of Santa Catarina's GDP between 2000 and 2010, ranging from 30% to 54%, depending on the year analyzed and the methodology adopted. "This history confirms the sector's relevance and the importance of more standardized analyses of its economic contribution," says the analyst.

Results already measured for the agribusiness GDP.

In a preliminary technical note, the team of the Santa Catarina Agribusiness GDP project estimated Brazilian agribusiness for the years 2010, 2015, and 2021, using the methodology of economist Carlos Antonio Montoya, and estimated the input-output matrix using the method of Guilhoto and Sesso Filho (economists Joaquim Guilhoto and Umberto Sesso Filho). The results indicate that the share of agribusiness in the national GDP increased from 20% in 2010 to 21% in 2015 and 26% in 2021.

During the same period, the share of income from this sector remained at 21% for 2010 and 2015, reaching approximately 27% in 2021. In terms of job creation, agriculture went from 30% in 2010 to 28% in 2015, returning to 30% in 2021, reinforcing its relevance to the Brazilian economy.

In the country, some states already have a systematic calculation of agribusiness GDP carried out by research institutions, such as the João Pinheiro Foundation (Minas Gerais) and the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, which produces the indicator for São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and also Minas Gerais.

Economic analysis of agribusiness in SC

In Santa Catarina, Epagri/Cepa aims to assume this role and establish itself as a benchmark in the production and systematization of information on the state's agribusiness economy. The initiative brings together a multidisciplinary team and seeks to fill the gap in an institutionalized methodology, offering technical support for public policies and agricultural planning.

Beyond measuring GDP, the project aims to deepen the analysis of how agribusiness functions and its interactions with other sectors of the Santa Catarina economy. According to analyst Andréa, the initiative goes beyond the aggregate indicator by adopting instruments capable of detailing the relationships between different segments of the economy, identifying agro-industrial chains with greater potential for generating employment, income and revenue, and simulating the impacts of changes in demand in the sector.

“Although important, measuring the GDP of agribusiness, in isolation, does not explain how the sector functions. Therefore, in addition to calculating its share of Santa Catarina's GDP, the project will use the inter-regional Input-Output Matrix to analyze the relationships between different sectors of the economy, identify agro-industrial chains with the greatest potential for generating employment, income and revenue, and simulate the impacts of changes in agribusiness demand,” says the analyst.

By establishing an institutionalized and periodic methodological basis, the initiative led by Epagri/Cepa, with support from Fapesc, sets a milestone in measuring agribusiness in Santa Catarina. The proposal should offer qualified technical support to public policy makers and decision-makers, strengthening agricultural planning and the sustainable economic development of the state.