terça-feira, 21 de junho de 2011

Good times for Brazilian agriculture

Agriculture is already huge in Brazil. Soybeans compete with EMBRAER's airplanes for the top spot in Brazilian exports year on year, and the country is among the world leaders (if not the leader) in chicken and beef exports as well. And now, in addition to all this, comes a few new pieces of news.

For one, today Lula was awarded the World Food Award, given by the aptly named World Food Award Foundation in Iowa. It was founded by the famous Norman Borlaug of the Green Revolution fame. Lula won the award on the basis of the apparent success of initiatives undertaken or expanded by his government, including Fome Zero (literally Zero Hunger), and Bolsa Família (Family Grant), both welfare programs for the very poor. Lula has taken advantage of this to claim that Brazil represents a model for the developing world to follow, and to push his Brazilian choice for heading the UN's FAO.

In addition, Reuters launched a piece arguing that Brazil is poised to become a big deal in cotton and corn, in addition to soy, in which it is already the world's second exporter as a result of China's incessant demand. The article notes that there are technical impediment to reaching this goal, including the eternal infrastructure problem (such as clogged roads and ports), but also fertilizers, which for some reason are not an industry in Brazil. But in the medium term, high prices of these crops are leading farmers to invest in more acreage in the Brazilian savannah.

The analysis suggests that it will take time for Brazil to become a significant player in exporting these crops. But if it does, the addition of two more large exports means more diversification in the country's economy and further cementing of Brazil's status as a new leader in agriculture.

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