Brazil is a country with abundant agricultural resources and huge grain exports. It has close ties with China, especially in the soybean sector. But Brazil also faces a sharp contradiction: its people are not able to enjoy the fruits of their country's agriculture, and hunger is still widespread. Why is that? What is the process of agricultural development in Brazil?
Soybeans are one of Brazil's most important agricultural products and its main commodity with China. Brazil, the United States and Argentina are the world's top three soybean producers, with Brazil's soybeans being of high quality and popular with countries such as China. Soybeans are used in many ways in China, including oil making, medical and food additives.
In 2023, Brazil exported 69.95 million tonnes of soybeans to China, accounting for 70% of China's total soybean imports of 99.41 million tonnes that year. China's soybean imports from Brazil increased by 29% compared to the previous year. This shows that China's demand for Brazilian soybeans is very strong, and it also reflects the rapid development of China's economy.
Brazil's soybeans** generate huge revenues for it. In 2023, Brazil's total exports totaled 3,397$700 million, of which $98.8 billion was contributed by food**. Brazil's ** surplus is 988$400 million, thanks in large part to its soybeans with China**.
Brazil's agriculture has not always been so strong. In the past, Brazilian agriculture has been in the shadow of the United States, where farmers can grow and harvest large quantities of crops at low cost, while Brazilian farmers face land, technology, financial constraints, etc.
In order to break the monopoly of the United States, Brazil began to strengthen its own research and development of agricultural science and technology, improve its agricultural production conditions, and expand its agricultural market. Brazil has also taken advantage of the cooperation of BRICS countries such as China to increase the volume of its own agricultural exports.
Since 2010, Brazil's agricultural exports have shown a rapid growth trend, and with the exception of a decline in 2019 and 2022 due to the impact of global infectious diseases, Brazil's agricultural products** have remained at a high level. Today, Brazil is the world's second-largest exporter of grains, with more than 300 million tonnes of grain exported, and is known by many as the "breadbasket of the world".
Brazil's agriculture has been successful, but it has not benefited its own people. Brazil remains a country with a huge gap between rich and poor, with more than 59 per cent of the population without access to adequate food, and hunger remains a problem.
This is because Brazil's agricultural development does not take into account domestic food security and livelihood needs, but mainly relies on the needs of the international market and**. Farmers in Brazil tend to use their land for cash crops rather than food crops in pursuit of higher profits. This has led to a shortage of food in Brazil, which is difficult for the poor to afford.
Brazil's ** has also not effectively addressed this issue. In 2003, the Brazilian Workers' Party** launched the Zero Hunger Program, which aims to feed the poor with special funds and social donations. Although this plan initially achieved some results, it was also opposed and resisted by right-wing parties and farmers. They see the program as subsidizing the poor with the rich's money, rather than incentivizing them to become self-reliant. They also accused the laborers of using the scheme to carry out corruption and corruption.
Under the double blow of political struggle and economic crisis, Brazil's "Zero Hunger Plan" has gradually lost its effectiveness, and the problem of hunger in Brazil has not been fundamentally solved. The people of Brazil are stuck in a quagmire from hunger.
Brazil's hunger problem is not insurmountable. With the help of the international community, Brazil is expected to improve its situation. Every year, international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provide large quantities of supplies and assistance to hungry countries such as Brazil to alleviate their urgent needs.
What's more, Brazil's cooperation with countries such as China has also brought new opportunities and impetus to Brazil. China is not only an important partner of Brazil, but also an important learning object for Brazil. Brazil can learn from China's experience to improve its agricultural production efficiency, ensure its own food security, and improve its own people's livelihood.
The Chinese have a saying that "we must hold our rice bowl firmly in our own hands". This is the profound experience of the Chinese after experiencing countless hardships, and it is also a truth that Brazilians need to understand and practice. Only by mastering its own food lifeblood can Brazil truly emerge from the shadow of hunger and achieve its own development and prosperity.
Brazil has great potential and hope, and its future should not be held hostage by hunger. As long as Brazil can stick to its own path, make full use of its resources and advantages, and maintain friendly and cooperative relations with the international community, it will certainly be able to show its style on the world stage.