FIELD - Brazil – world’s 10th economy and the largest in Latin America

Brazilian agribusiness is efficient. It generates jobs and income, produces safe and cheap food, exports food, fibers and energy to more than 150 countries, granting billions of dollars in foreign exchange reserves (US$ 200 billion recently), within a continuous transfer process of social and economical benefits to the Brazilian society.

The sector is answerable for approx. 26% of the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 37% of employment. The Brazilian Trade Balance has been increased by the positive contribution of the agribusiness. Agriculture Trade Balance has generated a US$ 60 billion surplus in 2008.

Currency stabilization and demand increase – the world will need to produce 70% more food by 2050, according to the UNO – and the farming production technology in the tropics, all these are factors have been boosting Brazil’s agribusiness.

The assessment has impelled Brazil’s advantages in agriculture (land availability, favorable climate, fresh water supply and soil diversity), resulting in the development of technology for tropical agriculture. There are about 70 million hectares of unexplored land available for farming activities, without the need of cutting down trees at all.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture - USDA, Brazil’s share in agribusiness worldwide is as follows: