Future chancellor: External policy to boost agribusiness

Brazil’s future Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo said that the country’s foreign policy will stimulate negotiations to “actively and systemically” expand trade and agribusiness under the coming administration. He published 12 tweets about the topic Friday (Dec. 21).

Araújo added that the goal is to bring about a new landscape for the country. “Agricultural vigor will be part of the project to make Brazil grand. At the same time, the projection of a great, strong, confident country will serve the interests of agriculture even further.”

No clashes

In his tweets, Araújo criticized the opposition between incentives to agribusiness and environmental protection. The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture will work together, he said.

“They want to hold agriculture against the ideals of the Brazilian people? They won’t succeed. The unrelenting work, the faith, the inventiveness, and the patriotism of agricultural producers are the very essence of Brazilianness.”

He added that the Brazilian government will defend field producers and not place him as an adversary to the environment. “We’ll defend the Brazilian producers at international forums, from the entirely false reputation of coming to harm the environment. Brazilian producers contribute to environmental preservation like in no other country.”

Guidelines

The future chancellor further said an agribusiness department will be created at the Foreign Ministry to work together with the Ministry of Agriculture to reach international markets. “We’ll give to agribusiness the attention it never had at the Foreign Ministry.”

He went on to say guidelines will be relayed to Brazilian representations overseas so more importance is given to agribusiness. “We’ll recommend embassies to promote Brazilian agricultural products actively and systematically.” The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) will receive similar advice.

Identification

Araújo argued there is much convergence between the agricultural industry and the proposals of President-Elect Jair Bolsonaro. “The productive sector in agriculture is deeply related to the values of the nation and supports them. This is so much the case that it backs [Bolsonar] massively. But the establishment of old politics and the old press wants to use agribusiness as a pretext to reduce Brazil to an insignificant country.”

In his view, no relevant trade deals were inked under recent administrations. “In these long years with no ideals and no identity, we didn’t forge any relevant commercial agreement. This shows Brazil will not reach markets through self-denial or the automatic subscription to the canons of globalism—but through self-confidence and work.”

Through its new external policy, the future foreign minister said, Brazil will not stop from exporting chicken and soybeans, meat and sugar, but will also start exporting hope and freedom. “The fact that it’s an agricultural power does not prevent us from having ideals and fighting for them,” he said.