About Brazil

Brazil is, currently, the world’s largest exporter of sugar, coffee, orange juice, soybeans, corn, beef and chicken. It is also the largest producer of soybeans, coffee, orange juice and sugar; the second producer of beef, and third of chicken and corn. Agribusiness is, undeniably, a key tool to the socioeconomic development of Brazil. And with that, Brazilian agribusiness becomes also a key component for present and future global food security.

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When visiting Brazil for the first time, the first impression one might have is regarding its diversity. Brazilian history is permeated with intense miscegenation from indigenous people, African and European influences. Also, with later movements of Asian migration in the 19th and 20th centuries, a multiracial identity was consolidated in the country.

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Brazilians have, at the same time, a feeling of national and regional identification – mainly in habits and customs. It is possible to get to know many “Brazils” traveling through its different states.

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Bringing a little bit of each of its five regions, we have:

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• The North, where two important cultural events take place: the Parintins Festival, in the state of Amazonas, and the Círio de Nazaré, in Pará. The Parintins Festival features presentations similar to the carnival, with costumes and allegories and music. The Círio de Nazaré is a religious manifestation of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and brings together around two million people every year in the city of Belém, celebrating their faith. In the North part of Brazil, food has a strong indigenous influence, especially in the use of fish and cassava. Typical dishes are sun-dried meat, jambu and tucupi (cooked cassava broth). 

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• In the Northeast, one of the most traditional artistic manifestations is cordel literature, a literary genre produced in verse. Maracatu, bumba meu boi, carnival, capoeira, frevo, ciranda, the Iemanjá festival, marujada and the washing of the Bonfim stairs are also famous regional cultural celebrations. Typical dishes are acarajé, always with lots of pepper, vatapá, caruru, sarapatel, sun-dried meat, cornmeal cake, rice pudding, hominy, buchada, tapioca, tamale, green beans and cocada. The northeastern coast is known by its beautiful beaches, many of them ranked in international forums.

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• The Midwest, home to the capital of Brazil, Brasília in Distrito Federal. Goiás, a typical agricultural state in this region, is of great diversity due to influences from other states, indigenous peoples and even other countries, such as Bolivia and Paraguay. Some of the famous cultural manifestations are the cavalhada, the fogaréu and the cururu. Typical dishes include rice with pequi, angu, Bolivian rice, cural and fish from Pantanal. The region is the only one with no exit to the sea, and is known for its great importance in Brazil’s agricultural production, from livestock farming to grain cultivation.

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• The Southeast is the most populous region in the country, and also the richest. It is home to the only Brazilian megalopolis, São Paulo, with its 12.3 million inhabitants. One of the main regional festivals is carnival, in which competing teams, mainly in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states, parade in a spectacle of beauty, joy and samba. Other traditional celebrations are Folia de Reis, caiapó, jongo, among others. Typical dishes are couscous, fried cassava, moqueca, cheese bread, feijoada, bean tutu, tropeiro beans, Minas cheese, farofa and cod fritters.

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• The South has several cultural manifestations related to European immigrants, mainly Germans, Italians and Japanese. Descendant groups preserve cultural practices in dance, food and architecture. It is common to find entire cities built in German style, for example. In terms of cuisine, chimarrão stands out, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, pirão fish, barreado (meat cooked in a clay pot) and wine production.

Brazilian cultural diversity is, therefore, based on miscegenation and the respect for cultures, which contribute to a national identity rich in its plurality. Telling the story of Brazil is telling the story of these different peoples. Preserving its different origins is valuing the beautiful legacy that constitutes us as a nation.

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Brazilian Agriculture

Over the past four decades, Brazil has gone from being a food importer to becoming a major supplier to the world. Significant increases in agricultural production and productivity led the country to global agribusiness relevance. In the discussion of population expansion and income growth, the agricultural sector bases its development on the search for increased productivity simultaneously preserving natural resources. 

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Today, we have agricultural technology adapted to tropical regions, and rural producers are aware of the responsibility of environmental preservation as the only way to guarantee the longevity of their business. Brazilian producers work for the most innovative production sector in the world, which has been transforming the country’s economy. The transformative effect of the agricultural revolution of the last 40 years is certainly the most important fact in Brazil's recent economic history, and continues to open up perspectives for its future development.

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In 2020, the sum of goods and services generated in agribusiness reached BRL 1.98 trillion, or 27% of Brazilian GDP. Among segments, the largest portion comes from agricultural production, which corresponds to 70% of total value.

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• Livestock corresponds to 30%, or BRL 602.3 billion.

• Soybeans are the flagship of Brazilian agricultural production, responsible for approximately BRL 1.0 of every BRL 3.5 of annual sectoral production in Brazil.

• Second place is beef cattle farming, which raised BRL 195 billion in recent years.

• The third largest income contribution to Brazilian agriculture is corn, with around BRL 130 billion annually, followed by dairy farming (approximately BRL 80 billion) and sugarcane (around BRL 70 billion).

Agribusiness absorbs practically 1 out of every 3 Brazilian workers. According to data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), in 2015, 32.3% of the total 94.4 million Brazilian workers were dedicated to the sector. Of these, 13 million (43%) carried out agricultural activities, 6.4 million (21%) in commerce, 6.4 million (21%) in agro-services and 4.6 million (15%) in agro-industry. Approximately 50% of Brazilian exports are agricultural products, highlighting the importance of the industry in the country's trade surplus. Since 2010, the Brazilian agricultural surplus has more than offset the trade deficit in other sectors. Despite contemporary challenges in domestic and international markets, the destinations and diversity of products exported by Brazilian agribusiness have increased significantly.

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About Mato Grosso do Sul

Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the Midwest region of the country and sharing borders with two neighboring countries, Bolivia and Paraguay. Covering almost 360,000.000 km², comparable to the size of Germany, the state is home to a population almost 3 million people. MS has one of the largest indigenous populations in Brasil, with around 80,000 people, and has been made home by local immigrants from other states, as well as international migrants from Bolivia, Paraguay, Japan, Germany, Spain, Libya, Syria and others.

The main climate in MS is tropical, characterized by dry winters and hot, rainy summers. March expects warm weather and scattered rains, with daytime temperatures reaching up to 32 degrees Celsius and nights around 18 degrees. The climatic diversity contributes to the richness of the region's flora and fauna, with vegetation distributed into three main types: Atlantic Forest in the south, Pantanal in the west (UNESCO world heritage listed), and Cerrado in other areas. 

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HISTORY

Human occupation of MS dates back to 10,000A.D. by the ancestors of the contemporary Amerindians Guaranis, Terenas, Caiuás and Caiapós. Silver was discovered in the region in the 1500’s, causing a dominance of Spanish in the region (via Spanish Peruvians, Paraguayans and Chileans, as well as the Catholic Church) and until the Paraguayan War ended in 1870, and the current MS region was claimed by Brazil. Many of the soldiers fighting in the war then settled in the region, drawn by fertile lands, cattle farming, and the cultivation of mate (a type of green tea), a very traditional drink of South American people. In the early 1900’s a railway line was built connecting MS to São Paulo, and further drove immigration and development in the region. In 1977, Mato Grosso do Sul became an independent state, separating from the state of Mato Grosso, with Campo Grande as its defined capital. Broadscale cattle raising was a key farming activity until the 1970s, until improved pastures were introduced, and soon followed by annual crops. The state's commitment to sustainable farming practices further emphasizes its importance in balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship. 

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BUSINESS IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL TODAY

35% of Mato Grosso state is covered by native vegetation, and primary production represents 15% of the State's GDP. Its main sectors are cropping, processing, mineral extraction (principally ironore), tourism, and service provision. 86% of its energy comes from renewable sources, mainly biomass and hydro. Annual agricultural production includes 10million tonnes of soy, corn and processed celulose, 50million tonnes of raw sugarcane, as well as 22million head of beef cattle, 22million chickens, and processing 2million pigs each year. For more information, Famasul has a powerpoint in english - click here.

CAMPO GRANDE 

Campo Grande was founded in 1889, when José Antônio Pereira (from Minas Gerais state) arrived and settled in fertile and completely uninhabited lands of the Serra de Maracaju, at the meeting of the Prosa and Segredo rivers. The city was meticulously planned, incorporating an urban vision that valued greenery and nature. With wide streets and avenues, and a lot of green areas, Campo Grande is one of the most tree-lined cities in Brazil. Today, Campo Grande is home to almost one million people. The city has become an important cultural, economic, and educational hub in the Midwest region of Brazil. Additionally, its strategic location near important ecosystems such as the Pantanal and Bonito make it a landing place to explore the natural beauties of the region. The combination of history, conscious urban planning, and the natural wealth around make Campo Grande a unique and welcoming city.

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BONITO

Bonito, is the most visited ecotourism destination in the country, yet is home to only 22,000 people. It is situated 300km from Campo Grande, and, together with the municipalities of Jardim, Bodoquena, forms an important tourist belt around the Serra da Bodoquena National Park, an environmental conservation área.

The limestone-based geological formation of the region is responsible for the clarity and transparency of the rivers, that attract tourists from around the world. Among the most famous are the Rio Sucuri, Rio da Prata and Rio Formoso. Environmental preservation has become one of the central pillars of tourism in Bonito, to protect water quality and ecosystem function in a region that has had decades of cropping and cattle-raising history.

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