BRAZIL IN THE WORLD
- Douglas Leal
- Nov 6
- 2 min read
The largest cattle herd in the world, in number of heads, is in Brazil, followed by India, the United States, China, the European Union, Argentina, and Australia (United States, 2023; IBGE, 2023; FAOSTAT, 2023).
The importance of livestock farming for Brazil grows stronger every year. In 2022, the total GDP of the beef production chain reached USD 198.12 billion. Over the last 10 years, total revenue has grown by around 187%, with a 12% increase just in the last year. The GDP of the beef agribusiness system represented 41.6% of the total agribusiness GDP in 2022, which was R$2.5 trillion. In relation to all wealth generated in Brazil (R$9.9 trillion), livestock represents 10%. The inputs and services sector for production recorded revenue of R$159.31 billion, while the beef cattle production sector totaled R$241.38 billion. Of the total livestock GDP revenue, R$250.56 billion came from the meatpacking industry (ABIEC, 2023).
Of all the beef produced in Brazil in 2022, 72% was destined for domestic consumption and 28% for the foreign market. The country’s main export destinations for fresh beef are China (62.39%), the United States (4.47%), Egypt (4.3%), and Chile (3.96%) (USDA, 2023; ABIEC, 2023).
Learn below about some of the technological solutions that have helped improve the quality of Brazilian beef in recent years.
Brazil stands out as the world’s largest exporter of the most demanded type of beef — known as “ingredient meat” — which is later processed in the destination country.
Brazil has proven to be the nation with the greatest capacity to feed the world, becoming more productive each year and building a strong foundation for the sector. There is still an important evolutionary path to be followed toward technical and economic excellence, requiring efforts from all links in the production chain. Digital transformation will impact the entire beef production chain.
