Brazil since 1980

Abstract

This is a general survey of Brazilian society, economy, and political system since 1980. It describes the basic changes occurring as Brazil was transformed from a predominantly rural and closed economy under military rule into a modern democratic, industrial and urbanized society, with an extraordinary world class commercial agriculture in the past 60 years. In this period, Brazil passed from a pre-modern high fertility and mortality society to a modern low fertility and mortality one, the economy approached hyper inflation many times, and it abandoned a policy of protected industrialization to an economy opened to world trade. The advances and the failures of these changes are examined for the impact on questions of growth and equality. The book is designed as a basic introduction to contemporary Brazil from a recent historical perspective and is one of the first such comprehensive surveys of recent Brazilian history and development in any language.

Green for gold: social and ecological tradeoffs influencing the sustainability of the Brazilian soy industry

“…This federal investment led to the development of so-called miracle soy cultivars capable of tolerating the metal-heavy, nutrient-poor, acidic soils of the Center-West, with high levels of biological nitrogen fixation. (Spehar 1995; Sousa and Busch 1998;Luna and Klein 2006;Alves, Boddey, and Urquiaga 2003). Embrapa also facilitated the transfer of no-till/direct planting technology, which was critical to the long-term sustainability of soy production in the region by reducing erosion, enhancing soil permeability for water infiltration, and increasing organic material in the soil (Gasques and Bastos 2010).…”

“…The Brazilian government lowered import tariffs, exempted soy exports from the interstate movement tax, joined MERCOSUR (a regional free trade agreement), 3 and stabilized the national currency (Flaskerud 2003;Chaddad 2006;Luna and Klein 2006). These changes made Brazilian soy more competitive in international markets and helped Brazil double its agricultural exports between 1990 and 2005 (Chaddad 2006).…”

Policies for Reintegrating Crop and Livestock Systems: A Comparative Analysis

“…Agricultural policies: Agricultural policy in Brazil over the last sixty years has focused on modernization and increasing exports [59,60]. During the agricultural reforms of the 1980s, subsidies and price controls for sugarcane, wheat, coffee, and milk were reduced.…”

“…During the agricultural reforms of the 1980s, subsidies and price controls for sugarcane, wheat, coffee, and milk were reduced. Support for all crops and animal products is now provided primarily through the National Rural Credit System (Sistema Nacional de Crédito Rural (SNCR)), which provides agricultural loans at lower than market interest rates, and the Federal Government Purchase program (Aquisições do Governo Federal (AGF)), which enables the government to purchase crops at a minimum target rate if sellers cannot find a better market [59]. Currently farmers receive a majority of support through subsidized credit programs.…”

South America's biophysical involvement in international trade: the physical trade balances of Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil in the light of ecologically unequal exchange

“…With its specialization on exports, Brazil is now an extractive economy that relies heavily on commodity sales in volatile international markets (Luna and Klein 2006;Wylde 2012). The country's PTB reflects this development: Brazil shifted from being a rather closed country into an open, export-oriented economy.…”