Employment and number of agricultural establishments: exploring contradictory trends

Authors

  • Jan Marc Paes de Barros Smid Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo - USP
  • Nicole Rennó Castro Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo - USP

Keywords:

self-employment, agricultural economy, agricultural labor

Abstract

This paper contributes to understanding recent and seemingly contradictory trends in the Brazilian
agricultural labor market, where there is a substantial reduction in the employed population, concurrent with
stability in the number of agricultural establishments. Techniques of Descriptive statistical are applied to data
from various sources: Agricultural Censuses, microdata from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD),
and microdata from the Continuous PNAD. The findings indicate that, between 2006 and 2017, the number
of establishments was sustained by marked growth in non-family agriculture. Meanwhile, the decline in the
employed population in agriculture was solely due to reductions in family farming, which simultaneously
saw a decrease in the number of establishments and the average population per establishment. Regionally,
the overall employment drop during this period was concentrated in the Northeast and South, where
family farming experienced significant reductions. The stability in the total number of establishments was
supported by expansions in new agricultural frontiers in the North and Center-West, as well as a marked
increase in non-family establishments in the Northeast. Annual PNAD data confirmed the downward trend in
the number of employed individuals, as indicated by the census. Moreover, data from the Continuous PNAD, allowing analysis of the most recent  period, revealed that these trends persisted, with the number of people
employed in agriculture decreasing by 15% between 2012 and 2022.

Author Biographies

Jan Marc Paes de Barros Smid, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo - USP

Graduando de Ciências Econômicas da ESALQ/USP, com formação prevista para 2025. Se interessa pela áreas de macroeconomia e de teoria econômica. Foi bolsista do CNPQ no Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica (PIBIC).

Nicole Rennó Castro, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo - USP

Professora Doutora do Departamento de Economia, Administração e Sociologia (LES) da Esalq/USP. Coordenadora do curso de Ciências Econômicas da Esalq/USP. Pesquisadora da equipe macroeconômica do Centro de Estudos Avançados em Economia Aplicada (Cepea/Esalq/USP), atuando na divisão responsável pelo cálculo e acompanhamento do PIB e do Mercado de Trabalho do Agronegócio. Bolsista de Produtividade em Pesquisa 2.

Published

2025-05-22

How to Cite

Smid, J. M. P. de B., & Castro, N. R. (2025). Employment and number of agricultural establishments: exploring contradictory trends. Revista De Política Agrícola, 33, e02005. Retrieved from https://rpa.sede.embrapa.br/RPA/article/view/2005

Issue

Section

Artigos Científicos