During New York Climate Week, Guilherme Bastos, Coordinator of the Agribusiness Study Center (FGV Agro), took part in a lecture organized by Instituto Equilíbrio, held at the headquarters of the law firm Baker McKenzie. On the occasion, he presented preliminary results from the study The Economic Potential of Sustainable Agricultural and Livestock Practices, which aims to promote recognition of the strategic role of Brazilian agribusiness in the national economy and global food security.
In 2024, the agricultural sector accounted for 23.2% of Brazil’s GDP, employed 26% of the workforce, and was responsible for 49% of the country’s exports. Additionally, it generated 60% of Brazil’s renewable energy. Faced with increasing international demands for sustainability, the country faces the challenge of positioning itself as part of the climate solution, rather than as a driver of environmental pressure.
To address this challenge, the study developed by FGV Agro created the Brasil-AGRO model, which simulates medium- and long-term scenarios by integrating sustainable technologies and their socioeconomic impacts. The research analyzes practices such as no-till farming, recovery of degraded pastures, and technologies from the ABC+ Plan, demonstrating how it is possible to increase agricultural productivity without expanding the agricultural frontier.
Preliminary results indicate that around 49 million hectares of severely degraded pastures could be restored, enabling increased grain and beef production with a lower environmental footprint. The study also seeks to estimate costs per hectare and per ton of CO₂ avoided or sequestered, helping position Brazil as a global reference in low-carbon tropical technologies. New results will be released soon.
The researcher’s participation in the event organized by Instituto Equilíbrio followed his role as moderator of the panel Agriculture and Innovation in the Cerrado at the event Brazil that Innovates for the Climate, organized by Cubo ESG, NTT Data, and the UN Global Compact on September 22.
In addition to the events, Guilherme Bastos held strategic meetings with various organizations. With BTG Pactual bank, he discussed Ecoinvest, a sustainable financing mechanism promoted by the government. In a meeting with the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), he attended the presentation of the Re-WIRE framework, which proposes solutions to make agri-food value chains more resilient and regenerative, focusing on Brazilian beef and Brazil-China soy supply chains.
In a meeting with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the focus was on supporting the regionalization of climate targets, highlighting the importance of Brazilian data and studies—such as those from FGV—in adapting global standards to local realities.
Soon, Guilherme Bastos will also participate in the Pre-COP event organized by the National Confederation of Insurance Companies (CNseg).
New York Climate Week
New York Climate Week is the largest annual climate event of its kind, featuring over 900 in-person, hybrid, and online activities across the city. Each year, business leaders, policymakers, local authorities, and civil society representatives from diverse backgrounds come together to accelerate the climate transition, drive progress, and advocate for the changes already underway.