According to an analysis of Annual Mapping of Land Use and Cover in Brazil (MapBiomas), the area reserved for agriculture has increased by 50% and now occupies 95.1 million hectares, which is equivalent to 10.6% of the national territory. This area is larger than that of the state of Mato Grosso. The expansion is mainly due to two types of crops: grains and sugarcane, which account for almost the entire expansion (96%). During the period from 1985 to 2022, the area occupied by these two types of cultivation increased from 18.3 million hectares to 58.7 million hectares, which is equivalent to 7% of the national territory. Soybeans alone expanded cultivated area fourfold, accounting for 35 million hectares of this total.
Source: Jornal Cana (*Translated by Ia Niani)