In Brazil, the agreste is a narrow zone in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia between the coastal zona da mata (forest zone) and the semiarid sertão.

The agreste actually fades out before Rio Grande Do Norte is reached because of the breakdown of the mountain chain that gives the coastal Atlantic forest zone high rainfall. Land use is predominantly mixed farming, with fruits such as melons especially important. Like the sertão, the agreste is frequently affected by drought, although generally the effects are less severe.