Estimativas de apoio à agricultura brasileira pela OCDE

Abstract

In 2005, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a country study on brazilian agriculture in which it estimates rural producer's support, named PSE. It classifies Brazil among the countries for which agricultural subsidies are the lowest. Updated calculations for 2006 reveal an increase on Brazil PSE. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main explaining factors for that increase and examine the contents of support policies considered by OECD and PSE methodology. This analysis reveals that Brazil agricultural support, in terms of governmental expenditures, has not the same meaning as considered by OECD due to its methodology. For that reason, producers support thus calculated is much higher them the value of those expenditures. Brazil PSE increase in 2005 results mainly from adjustments on OECD methodology, the use of new agricultural policy support instruments, world market price fall, and drought in important brazilian agricultural producing regions. The nature of that increase on Brazil agricultural support leads to the conclusion that it does not indicate a tendency of growth or the return of protectionism.