Brazil has made agriculture a significant part of its international engagement in Africa. It has established the agricultural research institution Embrapa in countries like Ghana to promote technologies and innovations. However, Brazil's agricultural projects in Africa like ProSavana in Mozambique have been controversial, with criticisms that they primarily support large-scale agribusiness over small family farms. Brazil has also tried to balance business and solidarity objectives in its agricultural cooperation with Africa.

1. Brazil
in
African
agriculture
Lídia
Cabral
China
and
Brazil
in
African
Agriculture
h3p://www.future-­‐agricultures.org/research/cbaa

2. 1.
The
rise
of
Brazil
in
interna;onal
development

3. 2.
Significance
of
agricultural
agenda
in
Brazil’s
interna;onal
affairs
Source:
The
Economist,
Aug.
26th
2010
ediCon
Source:
FT,
Nov.
1st
2010
ediCon
• Trade:
growing
concentraCon
around
primary
goods
with
a
number
of
agricultural
commodiCes
topping
world
ranks
(and
accounCng
for
40%
of
exports
in
2013)

4. Agriculture
24%
Health
16%
EducaCon
11%
Environment
7%
Public
safety
7%
Public
administraCon
5%
Energy
5%
Social
development
3%
Cience
and
technology
2%
Urban
development
1%
Industry
1%
Culture
1%
Sport
1%
Other
16%
Brazilian
coopera;on
By
sector
(2003-­‐12)
Source:
Brazilian
CooperaCon
Agency,
2013
• Coopera;on:
leading
area
of
technical
cooperaCon
• Geopoli;cs:
agriculture
as
key
area
for
asserCng
leadership
in
internaConal
system
2.
Significance
of
agricultural
agenda
in
Brazil’s
interna;onal
affairs

5. 3.
Brazil’s
agricultural
‘successes’:
the
agribusiness-­‐family
farming
dualism
• Ministry of
Agriculture,
Livestock and
Supplies (MAPA)
and Embrapa
• Ministry of
Agrarian
Development
(MDA)

6. 4.
Brazil’s
agriculture
in
Africa:
solidarity
and
business
• Embrapa
office
opened
in
Accra
in
2006:
‘To
have
Embrapa
in
the
city
of
Accra,
in
Ghana,
is
the
beginning
of
a
peaceful
revoluCon
that
will
have
as
result
the
germinaCon
of
grain,
food,
products
that
can
do
in
the
African
savannah
the
same
revoluCon
that
Embrapa
carried
out
in
the
Brazilian
Cerrado’
(Lula
da
Silva
in
2008)
• Brazil-­‐Africa
Dialogue
on
Food
Security,
Hunger
Allevia;on
and
Rural
Development
in
Brasília
in
2010:
promoted
Brazil’s
contribuCon
to
Africa’s
agriculture
through
menu
of
cooperaCon
opCons
comprising
Embrapa’s
research
and
public
policies
targeCng
family
farming,
incl
those
led
by
MDA
• Brazil-­‐Africa
Agricultural
Innova;on
Marketplace
launched
in
2010:
as
pla_orm
for
agricultural
innovaCon,
funding
collaboraCve
research
on
agriculture
between
Embrapa
and
African
research
insCtuCons.
Supported
by
Bill
and
Melinda
Gates,
DFID,
FARA,
World
Bank,
among
others

7. 4.
Brazil’s
agriculture
in
Africa:
solidarity
and
business
the
‘Brazilian
way’
55
13°
17°
Brazil Mozambique
140milhões0
de0hectares000
 Similar0biomass.0
 Similar0challenges.0
 Vast0business0
opportuni=es.0
 Sharing0of0experiences.0
 Future0vision0of0
comparable0market0
PRODECER''
PROSAVANA((
ProSavana:0Trilateral0Coopera=on0
FOOD PRICES AND FOOD PRICE VOLATILITY
Chart 55: Historical volatility of world reference food prices also reached new heights in 2010
International food price volatility (1990-2010)
%
6
8
10
12
14
16
1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: FAO, Statistics Division
Metalink: P2.HUN.FAO.FPV.FPV, p. 164
Chart 56: Of all the prices of major food commodities, global sugar quotations have been most volatile
International food price volatility by food group (1990-2010)
%
10
20
30
40
1995 2000 2005 2010
Meat Dairy Cereals Oils Sugar
Source: FAO, Statistics Division
Metalink: P2.HUN.FAO.FPV.FPV, p. 164
107
Investments:000
Agro0Industrial:0Soybean,-Corn,-Rice,-Co3on,-Bean,-Sun-Flower,-Coffee;-Fruits-etc.;---
Protein:0Ca3le,-Chicken,-Pork,-etc.;-
Infrastructure:-For-supporBng-the-Project,-e.g.:--Port-terminal-for-grains.-
Interna=onal0vola=lity0in0
food0prices
Target market:
1° Mozambique
2° Africa
3° Asia (53% of world population)
 Produce
 Consume
 Export

8. 55
13°
17°
Brazil Mozambique
140milhões0
de0hectares000
 Similar0biomass.0
 Similar0challenges.0
 Vast0business0
opportuni=es.0
 Sharing0of0experiences.0
 Future0vision0of0
comparable0market0
PRODECER''
PROSAVANA((
ProSavana:0Trilateral0Coopera=on0
FOOD PRICES AND FOOD PRICE VOLATILITY
Chart 55: Historical volatility of world reference food prices also reached new heights in 2010
International food price volatility (1990-2010)
%
6
8
10
12
14
16
1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: FAO, Statistics Division
Metalink: P2.HUN.FAO.FPV.FPV, p. 164
Chart 56: Of all the prices of major food commodities, global sugar quotations have been most volatile
International food price volatility by food group (1990-2010)
%
10
20
30
40
1995 2000 2005 2010
Meat Dairy Cereals Oils Sugar
Source: FAO, Statistics Division
Metalink: P2.HUN.FAO.FPV.FPV, p. 164
107
Investments:000
Agro0Industrial:0Soybean,-Corn,-Rice,-Co3on,-Bean,-Sun-Flower,-Coffee;-Fruits-etc.;---
Protein:0Ca3le,-Chicken,-Pork,-etc.;-
Infrastructure:-For-supporBng-the-Project,-e.g.:--Port-terminal-for-grains.-
Interna=onal0vola=lity0in0
food0prices
Target market:
1° Mozambique
2° Africa
3° Asia (53% of world population)
 Produce
 Consume
 Export
Source:
FGV-­‐Projetos,
2012
• But are Brazilian
engagements in
African agriculture
simply part of a grand
coherent strategy that
uses cooperation to
forge business deals?

9. 5.
Priests,
technicians
and
traders
in
Moz:
the
poli;cs
of
discursive
alliances
&
antagonism
Alliance
of
technicians
(Embrapa)
and
traders
(business
people,
diplomats,
brokers)
around:
narraCve
of
‘cerrado
miracle’;
cerrado
similariCes
with
African
savannah;
and
fit
of
Brazilian
experCse
and
entrepreneurship
Visibly
opposed
by
civil
society
orgs
&
social
movements
(priests)
contesCng
corporate-­‐
driven
modernizaCon
of
agriculture
&
calling
for
family
farming
alternaCve,
preserving
land
rights,
environment
&
domesCc
food
needs
Discursive
adjustments
in
ProSavana
with
family
farming
narraCve
revamped
and
links
with
private
investment
becoming
concealed
Alliance
of
priests
and
traders
around
family
farming
and
‘tropical
technology’
narraCves
–
Brazilian
tractors
and
equipment
to
strengthen
family
farming
category
and
to
diversify
Brazilian
exports
Sales
component
discreetly
criCcised
for
supporCng
modernisaCon,
compromising
future
of
family
farming
but
opposi;on
remains
concealed
Sales
component
dominant,
discursive
adjustments
noCceable
in
Mozambique
(where
ProSavana
controversy
located)
with
apparent
declutching
of
technical
cooperaCon
to
restore
family
farming
poliCcal
agenda

10. 6.
Selec;on
of
issues
raised
by
research
• Hypothesis
of
Brazil’s
coherent
state-­‐business
strategy
simplisCc
–
pracCce
a
muddle
of
agendas
and
world
views,
which
priests,
technicians
and
traders
are
a
metaphor
of
• Brazilian
model?
Suitability
of
Brazil’s
tropical
technology
stems
beyond
edaphoclimaCc
consideraCons
–
transfer
as
‘knowledge
ba3lefield’
where
local
context
ma3ers
• ExporCng
Brazil’s
agrarian
ba3les
into
other
contexts
(e.g.
dualism)
also
needs
quesConing
• Key
for
understanding
the
metaphor
lies
in
Brazil’s
domesCc
sphere,
which
intertwines
with
diplomacy
and
the
internaConalisaCon
drive
of
Brazilian
agriculture

11. Plus
many
forthcoming
@
h3p://www.future-­‐agricultures.org/research/cbaa
Thank
you!