Brazilian Agriculture: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Despite its massive size and an economic history based on primary goods, Brazil was a net food importer until the 1980s. Application of science and technology has resulted in a sharp rise in agricultural productivity over the past fifty years. Induced innovation based on local institutional change was essential in transforming Brazil into one of the world’s largest food exporters. This success did not extend to all regions nor reduce all productive inequality. Challenges still persist, despite large production increases. We pres-ents the key factors that transformed Brazilian agriculture, divided into three time periods. The first period is pre-1970s, the