Abstract (Translated):
The agricultural frontier expanded through the Brazilian Cerrado, mainly due to the intensive use of knowledge and technology. Livestock production growth is shown in the regions of the Midwest, Matopiba (in the northeastern Cerrado) and Amazon border. It aims to present a diagnosis of this expansion, an analysis of the land sparing effect and a comparison between production and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Although the agricultural sector is largely responsible for emissions of GHG, due to enteric fermentation and soil fertilization, the potential of livestock production to mitigate climate change problems is also major compared to other economic activities. Finally, a methodology for calculating total factor productivity with GHG emissions in livestock production is proposed, an indicator to classify the importance of productive activities in terms of environmental sustainability, in order to assist design of public financing policies and sustainable development programs.
