Meetings between a Brazilian minister and authorities from China, the European Union, Spain, and Germany during the G20 WG on Agriculture highlight the importance of cooperation in technology and sustainable production. The agendas analyzed innovation in the sector, recovery of degraded pastures, and the fight against global hunger.
During the G20 Agriculture Working Group (WG) meeting in the state of Mato Grosso, the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, conducted strategic bilateral meetings. The synergy with the representatives of other G20 nations creates new opportunities for international trade and reinforces the global commitment to food and nutrition security in a scenario of increasingly challenging climate change.
Brasil and China: Technological synchrony and commercial expansion
Fávaro stressed that the objective of the G20 Agriculture WG meeting is to present Brasil's potential for sustainable production and to reinforce that climate change needs to be on the international agenda.
"China is an excellent example of economic development. I see the opportunities to expand the social evolution of our populations through stronger commercial relations. The technological development of our agricultural industries must be synchronized in universities and technologies and technical actions investments," said Minister Carlos Fávaro.
The National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio), created in the first government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is an important instrument for ensuring the safety of food production in the country. It is responsible for formulating, updating, and implementing the National Biosafety Policy for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
Sustainable production is a topic of focus at the G20, and the ministers discussed it through the presentation of the National Program for the Conversion of Degraded Pastures into Sustainable Agricultural and Forestry Production Systems (PNCPD), a model chosen by Brasil to intensify food production and continuously serve markets with growing demand, such as China.
Brasil and the European Union discuss sustainability and combating environmental crimes
The main points of the environmental and agricultural agenda were discussed during the meeting between Minister Fávaro and the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Janusz Wojciechowski. The meeting reinforced the importance of a joint effort to promote sustainable agricultural production and to ensure that environmental crimes, such as illegal deforestation, are severely combated. The meeting formalized the submission of a letter calling on the European Union to suspend the Anti-Deforestation Law and to review the punitive approach to producers who comply with current legislation.
Brasil's Forest Code, in force since 2012, is considered one of the strictest environmental protection laws in the world. Upon the resumption of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration, combating deforestation was established as one of the priority policies: "It's a fact that climate change has been more significant than we could have predicted. The path that brought us here will not be the one that will lead us to the future. We need to change the way we produce, "said the minister.
The discussion that guides the ministerial meeting of the G20 Agriculture WG is food security in the face of the growing demand of the world's population amid the urgent and necessary adaptation of production systems to climate change. Thus, measures in accordance with current laws can contribute to the supply of the European bloc, considering that Brasil is the main producer and exporter of different foodstuffs.
Brasil and Spain: Opportunities in global agribusiness and climate adaptation
In his meeting with Luis Planas Puchades, Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Fávaro discussed the importance of cooperation in overcoming climate and health challenges. "These bilateral meetings are essential for us to synchronize our agendas and face together the challenges posed by climate change," said Fávaro.
The discussion focused mainly on recovering degraded pastures and new forms of sustainable production, emphasizing the National Program for the Conversion of Degraded Pastures. Both ministers identified climate adaptation as a common challenge and discussed ways to scale up production without harming the environment.
Brasil and Germany: Producing and preserving in harmony
At the meeting with Ophelia Nick, deputy minister of the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Fávaro reinforced that agricultural production and environmental preservation coexist. "Brasil can intensify its production, but it doesn't need to do so at the expense of the forests. Producing and intensifying are not antagonists. That's why we launched the program to recover degraded pastures," he said.
Studies carried out by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the Bank of Brasil show that Brasil has around 40 million hectares of pastures with low productivity that are highly suitable for agriculture.
Fávaro stressed that the objective of the G20 Agriculture WG meeting is to present Brasil's potential for sustainable production and to reinforce that climate change needs to be on the international agenda.
Ophelia Nick emphasized that incentives for sustainable production are fundamental, especially in the face of climate change, and are essential for global food security.
The work of the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in fighting hunger was highlighted. According to the United Nations Report, edition 2024, on the State of Food Security in the World, severe food insecurity in Brasil dropped by 85%.
The role of Brasil in adopting sustainable agricultural practices, essential to address global climate challenges, was discussed. Germany was interested in Brazilian initiatives, especially concerning bioinputs, a field in which Brasil is a world leader.
The WG meetings will continue until Friday (13th) when the document approved by the Bloc's ministers should be presented for the G20 Leaders' Summit in November.
Information from the Communication Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply
