Resource information
This country note briefly summarizes
information relevant to both climate change and agriculture
in Brazil, with focus on policy developments (including
action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. In
Brazil, the 5th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the
world, agriculture (including land use change and forestry)
is the largest contributor to green house gas (GHG)
emissions. The emission reduction potential of the
agricultural sector (including land use change and forestry)
is significant and not yet sufficiently explored. Brazil
currently counts with 30 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
projects in the agricultural sector (targeting only methane
emission reductions and biomass generation), while there are
no registered CDM projects in the country under the
'afforestation and reforestation' category.
Agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate variability,
particularly in the Brazilian semi-arid Northeast where
droughts have had a significant impact on crop yields and
people's livelihood. The extension and improvement of
both irrigation infrastructure and climate-sensitive
insurance coverage for agricultural production, as well as
addressing the problems of severe land degradation, can
reduce some of the observed vulnerabilities in the country.
Reducing poverty and inequality in rural areas, and
particularly in those areas already vulnerable to climate
risk, can also contribute to minimizing the negative impacts
of future weather variability.
