segunda-feira, 13 de junho de 2022

Is Brazil saving the world from a food catastrophe?

 

 

Coletividade Evolutiva
June 9th

Brazil is the fourth largest food producer in the world. The country is fully self-sufficient in basic foods and ranks first in the world in the production of bananas, cocoa, cassava, coffee, corn, rice, soybeans and sugar. Although most of these products are consumed domestically, a significant portion is also exported, including oranges, palm oil, garlic, peanuts, tea, etc.

But Brazil needs a steady supply of fertilisers to feed its mighty agricultural industry. The country's largest international supplier of
fertilisers is Russia, which accounts for 44% of Brazil's total consumption each year.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared that his country will remain neutral. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 16, and on that occasion, President Bolsonaro declared: “We are committed to cooperating [with Russia] in various fields: defense, oil and gas, agriculture. Brazil expresses its solidarity with Russia.”

As might be expected, this visit to Russia was heavily criticised by the US government, since it took place at the height of tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine. However, Bolsonaro did not back down.

The Amazon is a huge bank of natural resources for Brazilians. It has the highest percentage of fresh water, valuable minerals and oil in the world. Not surprisingly, global elites are turning to environmental issues in an attempt to undermine Brazil's sovereignty over the region. In fact, Brazil's protected areas represent a staggering 25% of its total territory – 50% in the Amazon alone. However, we are constantly seeing a disinformation campaign about Amazon deforestation.

On the other hand, it is also true that Brazil still needs to import 97% of the approximately 10 million tons of potash it uses annually for cultivation, making it the largest importer in the world. So the fundamental question is where can Brazil find more
fertilisers?

Potassium reserves in Brazil are mainly found on indigenous lands in the Amazon region. In Brazil's indigenous lands, only 3% of all these lands are deforested, which is lower than public and private lands. The Brazilian Constitution defines indigenous lands as lands traditionally occupied by Brazilian Indians and also “used for their productive activities.

By reaching an agreement with Russia, Brazil has stopped potash mining that could harm the Amazon and violate the rights of indigenous peoples. This, potentially, could save the world from a catastrophic food crisis.

“If Brazil cuts spending next year due to
fertiliser shortages, that will certainly be bad news for the global food crisis,” says Joseph Schmidhuber, economist. The war in Ukraine, along with economic sanctions from the West, has put world food security at risk. These sanctions were supposed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, but they pose a serious threat to the world's ability to feed itself.

Brazilian Agriculture Minister Teresa Cristina Diaz urged countries to find an international solution to the problem, noting that
fertiliser shortages would trigger “food inflation and potentially undermine food security”.

In conclusion, the Brazilian government not only avoided a food crisis by replenishing the country's supplies with Russia's help, but also played a leading role in the search for international solutions to the emerging emergency food crisis, which, at worst, could lead to millions of people dying of starvation. especially in the poorest countries. 


Source: https://www.coletividade-evolutiva.com.br/2022/06/brasil-esta-salvando-o-mundo-de-uma-catastrofica-crise-alimentar.html

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