Agribusiness is what has protected Brazil’s economy from total collapse after the country experienced its worst recession on record. In 2017, it was responsible for 23 percent of the country’s GDP. Therefore, it’s surprising how little importance Brazil has given to closely studying the sector. After a long 11-year gap, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) has finally completed its latest agricultural census.
Over this time span, Brazil’s agribusiness advanced over 16.5 million hectares – a surface equivalent to the territories of Portugal, Belgium,...