On the 23rd of August, 2021, four CEBRI representatives participated in the debate cycle "Sustainable Agribusiness: The Real Image of Brazil", organized by the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense of the Federal Senate (CRE). The meeting, led by the President of the Commission, Senator Kátia Abreu, was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos França, and addressed topics such as the environment, foreign trade, technology and sustainability for Brazilian agribusiness. Abreu warned about Brazilian diplomatic underrepresentation in Asia. Today, the country's trade balance with Asia registers a surplus of R$ 37.5 billion dollars, while Asia holds only 29 of Brazil's 216 diplomatic posts. This topic is at the heart of the debate conducted by CEBRI's Asia Program, under leadership of Trustee Anna Jaguaribe.
Izabella Teixeira, CEBRI Trustee and Former Minister of the Environment, reinforced the importance of national agribusiness from the perspective of sustainable development, and suggested a renegotiation in favor of climate security. Hussein Kalout, Senior Fellow of CEBRI's South America Program and Researcher at Harvard University, addressed the geopolitical strategies and forces that impact foreign trade of sustainable agribusiness. Sandra Rios, CEBRI Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Integration and Development Studies, highlighted the growth of Asia, the need for trade policy reform and the incorporation of new environmental parameters. Marcos Jank, Member of CEBRI's International Advisory Board and Coordinator of Insper Agro Global, analyzed the importance of Brazilian animal protein exports, a sector in which the country has become a global leader.
Watch the full recording below:
