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Brazil's food production growth is sustainable

apex brasilThe country is set to become the largest supplier of food in the world, while promoting environmental protection through sustainable practices and productivity gains

Over the past decade, Brazil's agribusiness exports have grown from US$ 39 billion to US$ 89 billion and its farming and livestock industry currently accounts for 43% of the national total. This growth has been focused on productivity gains, evidenced by the figures from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) that show an average annual increase in agricultural production of 5.1% with only a corresponding 1.9% average annual increase in the total farmed area, for the period 1991-2014.   

Brazil has developed its own technologies to become self-sufficient in production and currently exports meat, fruit, coffee, honey, dairy products, organic products and others that are also produced through sustainable practices and at competitive prices.

More than 10,000 companies receive support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) to promote their exports to more than 200 markets and at events such as Anuga, held in Cologne, Germany, from the 10th to the 14th October.

"We work to ensure Brazilian companies position themselves in the international markets in a competitive manner, while increasingly relying on their characteristics of sustainability, innovation, quality and design”, states Apex-Brasil president David Barioni Neto.  

Environmental protection

According to MAPA, Brazil uses 28.4% of its national territory for agricultural activities. More than 62% of the country is protected by legislation (indigenous areas, conservation areas and reserves).

In order to protect its environment, Brazil has been investing in the development of sustainable rural practices, such as integrated production and direct drilling systems, organic farming, crop-livestock-forest plantation integration, soil conservation and the recovery of degraded areas.

The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, 2015-2024, forecasts Brazil becoming the largest food producer in the world, by 2024, and notes that the advanced research and technology investments made by the country have been essential for the sustainable growth of its food exports.

The use of new technologies has allowed Brazil's agricultural industry to achieve not only productivity gains, but also quality of life improvements for its producers.

Productivity and farmed areas

According to MAPA's 2024-2025 agriculture forecasts, the country's agricultural production growth should continue, based on the increase of productivity.

While the global annual average in productivity growth is 1.84%, the corresponding figure for Brazil over the past 38 years is 3.5%, outstripping the percentage increase in the total farmed area. The country still has 9.1% of farmable land in reserve.

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Diversity

Brazil enjoys a wealth of different climates and soils, which is reflected in the diversity of its agricultural production and exemplified by its participation at Anuga 2015, over 10th to 14th October, in Cologne, Germany. 83 Brazilian companies will participate in the fair and with the support of Apex-Brasil.

Of these companies, 33 are from the meat sector (beef, chicken and pork), 42 are fine foods companies (specialty coffees, honey, cheese rolls, biscuits, chocolates, grains, cereals, vacuum-packed ready meals, chillies, cashew nuts and almonds, among others), 5 are alcoholic beverage companies with products ranging from cachaça (the spirits used in caipirinha), through award-winning sparkling wines, to citric and organic juices, and 3 companies focus on dairy products.

About Apex-Brasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) supports Brazilian companies abroad, promoting the internationalisation of their businesses and the attraction of foreign direct investment. The agency currently supports more than 10,000 companies spread over 82 production sectors of the Brazilian economy, which export to over 200 markets. It organises, in partnership with trade entities, commercial promotion actions, such as prospecting and commercial missions, rounds of business discussions, support for Brazilian companies wishing to participate in large, international trade fairs and visits by foreign buyers and opinion formers to get to know Brazil's production structure. Apex-Brasil also coordinates efforts to attract foreign direct investment (IED) to the country, working to identify the business opportunities and promote strategic events, as well as ensuring support for foreign investors throughout the process in Brazil.