BNDES raises investments in agriculture by 50%

The bank’s shares in the first six months of the year aimed at family farming and agribusiness totaled R$ 50 billion, according to disclosure by the institution. This amount includes new credit operations and investments, such as the approximately R$ 1 billion approved by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) so that 250,000 families of family farmers in the northeastern semi-arid region receive investments in agricultural practices and water security .

Most of the resources accounted for by the BNDES are from the Safra/Safrinha Plan 2023/2024, for which the bank reserved R$ 38.4 billion in credits.

The volume offered for family farming was increased by 103%, reaching R$ 11.6 billion. For corporate agriculture, it was BRL 14.8 billion, a growth of 33% compared to the previous plan (2022/2023).

The BNDES also highlights the reactivation of financing lines for agribusiness, which were closed until the new board took office, and the creation of a new line indexed to the dollar, aimed at producers who receive in foreign currency. These resources add up to over R$ 11.5 billion.

For the bank’s president, Aloizio Mercadante, Brazilian agriculture needs to produce more and more, but without deforesting and destroying the environment, in order to show the world an efficient and modern agribusiness.

Currently, Brazil is the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet, and half of these emissions are caused by deforestation and burning, largely related to the expansion of farms and pastures over biomes such as the Cerrado and the Amazon.

The reduction of these emissions is an international commitment of the country in the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce the intensity and impact of climate change caused by human action by 2030. Changes in climate have been identified as the cause of extreme weather events and disasters, such as storms, landslides and floods.