Brazil — the world’s largest beef exporter — is facing renewed scrutiny as methane emissions rise sharply, underscoring the country’s complex role in both feeding the world and fueling the climate crisis.
Between 2020 and 2023, Brazil’s methane emissions surged by 6%, reaching 21.1 million tons — the second-highest level on record. According to a recent report by the Climate Observatory, three-fourths of these emissions came from beef and dairy cattle, amounting to 14.5 million tons in 2023 alone. In carbon dioxide equivalent terms, this is comparable to all greenhouse gases emitted by Italy in the same year.
Methane (CH₄) is an especially potent greenhouse gas. Though it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time than carbon dioxide, it traps far more heat over the same period. This makes methane one of the most immediate accelerants of global warming — and in Brazil’s case, one directly tied to its agricultural identity.
David Tsai, coordinator of the Climate Observatory’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals Estimates System, noted that while fossil fuels are a major source of methane in other countries, Brazil’s challenge is largely agricultural. With one of the world’s largest cattle herds, the country’s methane emissions are driven by enteric fermentation — a natural digestive process where microbes in a cow’s stomach produce methane, released mainly through belching.
Beyond emissions, the scale of Brazil’s cattle industry has broader environmental implications. The expansion of ranching has long been linked to deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. When forests are cleared or burned to make way for new pasture, they release vast amounts of stored carbon dioxide, compounding the warming effects of methane emissions.
Brazil is now the fifth-largest emitter of methane globally, behind China, the U.S., India, and Russia. As the nation prepares to host the COP30 climate conference in Belém this November — in the heart of the Amazon — its policies and commitments will draw global attention.
Experts point to potential mitigation paths. Research continues into feed additives, such as specific seaweed compounds, that can suppress methane-producing microbes in livestock. Meanwhile, improved land-use strategies like rotational grazing could help producers raise more cattle on less land, curbing the need for deforestation while maintaining productivity.
Gabriel Quintana, an emissions specialist at the NGO Imaflora, highlighted New Zealand as an example of a cattle-producing nation that has made measurable progress in reducing methane output. Brazil, he argues, must develop similarly homegrown solutions that align with its unique agricultural structure and ecological realities.
The country’s recent progress in agricultural exports demonstrates its global influence — but with that comes responsibility. The rise in methane emissions is a reminder that economic growth and environmental sustainability must advance together. Balancing the two will define not only Brazil’s climate credibility but also the resilience of its agricultural future.
