According to a study by the Brazilian Institute for Forestry and Agricultural Management and Certification (Imaflora), more than 70 percent of the land in Brazil is planted with soybeans, corn, string beans, sugar cane and rice. Soybean acreage has been increasing since 2000. In 2017, soybeans accounted for 43.2 percent of the area planted, followed by corn at 22.5 percent, sugarcane at 13 percent, beans at 3.9 percent and rice at 2.6 percent.

According to the report, the period from 1985 to 2006 was marked by pasture growth and, more recently, a strong expansion of agricultural acreage. Between 2006 and 2017, 54.9 percent of the country's 558 regions (the urban group defined by Brazil's National Geographic Bureau) saw an increase in agricultural area greater than that of grazing, while 29.3 percent saw an increase in grazing area greater than that of agriculture. During this period, only 15.8% of the region's forest area expanded.

Brazil's agricultural land area in 2017 was 78.7 million hectares, up 26 percent from 2006 and 39 percent from 1988. In terms of output, it increased by 57 percent in 2017 compared to 2006 and 85 percent compared to 1988.

"Overall, between 1988 and 2017, agricultural yields increased at twice the rate of acreage expansion, indicating productivity gains during the period," the study notes. "Among other factors, the increase in agricultural planting is mainly explained by the increase in sugarcane and soybean acreage in the southeast.

Strong international demand for commodities has led to an increase in Brazil's agricultural production. Between 1988 and 2017, Soybean production in Brazil increased by 536 percent, while the acreage under cultivation increased by 221 percent. Corn output increased by 295% and the acreage planted increased by 32%. Sugarcane output increased by 194% and the acreage under cultivation increased by 145%. During the same period, the area under rice cultivation decreased by 67 percent and the yield increased by 5.5 percent. Coffee acreage was reduced by 40 per cent, but yields increased by 96 per cent as productivity increased.

According to the institute's research, the concentration of export crops directly leads to a decrease in the number of agricultural production units and an increase in the average area. Between 2006 and 2017, the number of agricultural producers in Brazil fell by 2%. The average area owned by each enterprise increased from 64.5 hectares in 2006 to 69.2 hectares in 2017, an increase of 7.4 percent. In southern Brazil, the number of agricultural production enterprises decreased by 15.2 per cent and the average area of ownership increased by 21 per cent, indicating a high concentration of production in the region. "This phenomenon can be explained by the increasing complexity and technical cost of managing agricultural activities. The impact of family farming has been even stronger, with the number of family farms falling by nearly half a million between 2006 and 2017, from 84 percent to 77 percent of the total. Since 2006, more than half of agricultural acreage has belonged to a small number of large enterprises.

Brazilian agricultural experts say changes in the country's agricultural landscape are forcing small farmers to expand their acreage and modify their crops technologically to increase their profits. Therefore, new public policies are needed to target these rural populations, to encourage young people to join the rural population and to promote the value-added of small-scale agriculture.