Global food demand and land constraints in Brazil

The growth in per capita income and urbanisation observed in recent decades and forecasts for the coming decades indicate a growing need for food worldwide. There is also little possibility of expanding agricultural areas, a reduction in agricultural productivity rates and a certain exhaustion of the technologies launched in recent decades. Brazil is one of the few countries in the world with space to expand production on new land, although the limits are close. In this context, this study sought to analyse how the growth in global demand for Brazilian food between 2012 and 2024 is likely to increase the demand for new productive land in Brazil and how productivity will need to adjust to meet new demands and legal restrictions on land use in the country, seeking to meet these future demands and ensure long-term food security. To this end, this study reviewed the literature on restrictions on the use of natural resources and growth in supply, as well as estimated demographic and geographical changes for the coming decades.