Overview of organic agriculture and pesticides in Brazil: an analysis from the 2006 and 2017 censuses

Abstract

Given the relatively old debate on the use of pesticides and more sustainable agricultural practices, this article aims to provide an overview of organic agriculture and the use of pesticides in Brazil from the 2006 and 2017 Agricultural Censuses. The research was characterized as a descriptive comparison and focused the analysis on agricultural establishments. The main results indicated that in 2006 about 27% of agricultural establishments used pesticides, in 2017, this percentage rose to 33%. The leading regions in establishments using pesticides in 2006 and 2017 were the South and Northeast. The states of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná were the states where the largest number of establishments producing pesticides of the Brazilian total were found in the two Censuses analyzed. Concerning organic agriculture, there was a relative reduction in the number of establishments with organic agriculture in Brazil in this period, although it is necessary to make reservations regarding the possibility of overestimating the information. In 2006, 46.7% of these establishments were in the Northeast, 21% in the South, and 20% in the Southeast. In 2017, 28% were in the Southeast, 27% in the Northeast, and 20% in the South.

Keywords:
agroecology; agricultural establishments; regions; sustainability