By Cláudio Gradilone, José Vicente Bernardo and Vera Ondei (with Adriana Cardillo Gaz, Beatriz Pacheco, Danila Moura)
Rain or shine, Brazilian agribusiness continues to set records. They could be production records – the IBGE estimate for the 2022/2023 grain harvest is 288.1 million tonnes, up 9.6% (25.3 million tonnes) compared to 2021/2022.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects 300 million tonnes in 2024/2025. Throughout this decade, the official estimate is for an expansion of 27.1% compared to the end of the last decade.
However, this is not the only record. Companies in the sector continue to obtain better and better results. This is what the fourth edition of the Forbes Agro100 proves.
The 100 listed companies earned R$1.38 trillion in 2021, up 34.6% compared to the R$1.02 trillion obtained in 2020. Growth is not the privilege of smaller companies. The 10 largest companies included in this list had revenues of R$929.6 billion, an increase of 34.7% compared to the R$689.7 billion of the previous year. Of the 100 participating companies, 21 earned more than R$10 billion, and 90 of them had results in more than ten digits.
The performance of the main sectors continues strong. Animal protein companies earned, as a whole, R$520 billion, growth of 28.9%. The second largest sector, food and beverages, totaled R$270.4 billion in revenue, an increase of 36.4%.
The biggest rise came from the agrochemicals and inputs sector, with an increase of 49%. Revenues from this segment increased due to the rise in international oil prices.
Data from the Forbes edition (published in November 2022, when it became available to subscribers via app and print, and which is now open to the general public) came from the collaboration of S&P Global Market Intelligence, linked to the most important international conglomerate S&P risk classification company in the world, or were sent by the companies themselves.
1) JBS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1953, in Anápolis (GO)
Revenue: R$350.69 billion
Chief executive: Gilberto Tomazoni
The largest food and beverage company and the second largest food company in the world, JBS is the second largest Brazilian company and the largest private company in terms of revenue.
A giant with around 400 production units in 15 countries on five continents, the company goes far beyond beef, pork and poultry. It has correlated businesses, such as leather, biodiesel, personal hygiene and cleaning, solid waste management solutions and metal packaging, and has recently entered alternative foods, investing in vegetable protein.
2) COSAN
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1936, in Piracicaba (SP)
Revenue: R$113.09 billion
Chief executive: Luis Henrique Cals de Beauclair Guimarães
One of the largest agroenergy companies in the country, Cosan was born in 1936, when the brothers Pedro Ometto and João Ometto teamed up with businessman Mário Dedini to buy the Costa Pinto plant, in Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo.
In 1989 the group became the largest producer of sugar and alcohol in the world, with 22 companies and crushing 10.5 million tons of sugarcane, 5% of the Brazilian total. Currently, it produces and exports ethanol and sugar, generating energy using sugarcane bagasse.
3) CARGILL AGRICOLA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Founded: 1865, in Conover, Iowa (USA). In Brazil since 1965
Revenue: R$101.09 billion
Chief executive: Paulo Sousa
Cargill is a rare case: it was founded 156 years ago in the United States as a grain warehouse, it is a gigantic privately held company and its control remains with the founding family. It operates in the areas of food, energy and logistics.
In Brazil since 1965 and employing around 11,000 people, it is the largest company with non-Brazilian capital on this list. In 2021, its net revenue in the country exceeded R$100 billion for the first time. It has traditional brands such as Mazola corn oil, Lisa mayonnaise and Elephant tomato sauces and extract.
4) MARFRIG GLOBAL FOODS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 2000, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$85.38 billion
Main executive: Rui Mendonça Júnior
Second largest food and beverage company in the world, in 2021 Marfrig signed a financing agreement worth US$30 million, with a 10-year term and linked to sustainability, to invest in a socio-environmentally responsible cattle supply chain in the Amazon and in the Cerrado.
Founded in 2000, it is one of the most internationalized Brazilian food companies. Its products are present in around 100 countries. There are 30,000 employees in 21 bovine production units, 10 centers ofand distribution and commercial and spread across four continents.
5) AMBEV
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1999, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$72.85 billion
Main executive: Jean Jereissati Neto
Largest brewery in the world, born from the purchase of Antarctica by Brahma, the industrial giant AmBev also operates in agribusiness.
The brewery is a voracious consumer of barley, the raw material for malt, the main ingredient in beer. In this sense, Ambev produces barley directly in Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, and also operates in partnership with cooperatives in these regions, which produce barley to supply its malting plants. AmBev is studying an expansion of its activities and aiming at the energy market.
6) BRF
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 2009, in São Paulo (merger of Perdigão and Sadia)
Revenue: R$48.34 billion
Main executive: Miguel de Souza Gularte
BRF emerged in 2009 through the merger of two competitors. Perdigão, founded in 1930 in Videira (SC), and Sadia, which appeared in the following decade in Concórdia, also in Santa Catarina.
As a result of the merger, BRF is one of the largest food companies in the world and is the largest exporter of chicken meat in Brazil. The company has more than 30 brands in its portfolio. In recent years, the shares have been hampered by changes in management, which focused on the financial aspect and opened up space for competition to grow, especially in the processed foods segment.
7) SUZANO HOLDING
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1924, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$40.97 billion
Chief executive: Walter Schalka
The rise of commodities in the international market and the appreciation of the dollar against the real have led Suzano, the largest pulp company in Brazil, to publish successive records in its results.
Its production costs are among the lowest in the world and the company has maintained a strong cash generation even in periods of low international prices. In 2021 it recorded the highest Ebitda in history, R$23.471 billion. It is investing R$9.3 billion in the Cerrado Project, with a new pulp mill in Mato Grosso do Sul.
8) COPERSUCAR
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1959, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$40 billion
Executive Chairman: Tomás Caetano Manzano
Copersucar is the largest Brazilian cooperative. In the sugar sector, it exported around 12 million tons to 40 countries. In the domestic market, its share grew from 19% to 25% of the market, with 2.1 million tonnes traded.
In the global ethanol market, the Copersucar platform sold more than 10 billion liters, of which 4 billion were sold in Brazil and 6 billion in the United States, through Eco-Energy.
The company continues to expand its American logistics structure, with the construction of a terminal in Phoenix (Arizona) and the start of works on the terminal in Stockton (California), the 11th owned terminal.
9) LOUIS DREYFUS
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 1851, in Alsace (France). In Brazil since 1942
Revenue: R$38.88 billion
Main executive: Murilo Parada
Created in 1851 in the French region of Alsace and dedicated to exporting wheat from France to Switzerland, Louis Dreyfus is currently one of the main companies dedicated to the marketing and processing of grains.
It is one of the few centuries-old companies whose control remains with the founding family. In Brazil since 1942, where it arrived through the acquisition of Coinbra, Louis Dreyfus operates in coffee, cotton, grains, juice, oilseeds, rice and sugar, being one of the ten largest exporters in Brazil. T
he company operates around 60 industrial and logistics units in the country and employs 11,000 people.
10) AMAGGI
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1977, in São Miguel do Iguaçú (PR)
Revenue: R$38.21 billion
Main executive: Judiney Carvalho de Souza
The Amaggi group was one of the pioneers in soy production in Mato Grosso, where it has been operating since 1979. It is the largest soy producer with 100% national capital and operates in three other areas: trading, logistics and energy. In trading, the group exports soy and corn and imports and distributes agricultural inputs.
In logistics, it created and manages the Northwest Export Corridor, formed by the Madeira and Amazon rivers, through which grains from the northwest regions of Mato Grosso and southern Rondônia are shipped. It annually produces about 1.2 million tonnes of grains and fibers, including soy, corn and cotton.
11) RAÍZEN ENERGIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2011, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$32.09 billion
Main executive: Ricardo Dell Aquila Mussa
The main manufacturer of sugarcane ethanol in Brazil and the largest exporter of sugarcane, Raízen is a joint venture between Cosan and Shell do Brasil. It has 35 production units and a wide product distribution network, more than 7,900 Shell brand service stations, 70 distribution terminals and 70 airports.
It can generate 1.5 gigawatts of electricity from sugarcane bagasse. It employs around 40,000 people, produces 6.2 million tonnes of sugar and sells 29 billion liters of fuel.
12) MINERVA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1957, in Barretos (SP)
Revenue: R$26.96 billion
Chief executive: Fernando Galetti de Queiroz
Minerva Foods has been standing out in the Brazilian agribusiness scenario for its risk management techniques. The company is the third in cattle slaughter and one of the main exporters. It has been successful in closing partnerships outside Brazil.
Minerva stands out for its sustainability, especially in business. In the third quarter of 2022, slaughter increased by 3.5% compared to the third quarter of 2021, to 983,900 head, but fell in relation to the volume slaughtered in the previous quarter. Sales volume increased by 8.6%, from 297,500 tonnes to 323.1 thousand tons.
13) COAMO
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1970, in Campo Mourão (PR)
Revenue: R$24.66 billion
Main executive: Airton Galinari
Founded on November 28, 1970, by a group of 79 farmers in Campo Mourão, in the central-west region of the state of Paraná, in 2021 it accounted for 3.1% of Brazilian grain production.
The cooperative has 111 units located in 73 municipalities in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso do Sul, to receive the agricultural production of more than 30,000 members Soy is the main product received, followed by corn, wheat, coffee and others.
14) AURORA ALIMENTOS
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1969, in Chapecó (SC)
Revenue: R$19.41 billion
Chief Executive: Neivor Canton
One of the largest cooperatives in the country, Aurora was founded in 1969 with the merger of eight cooperatives in western Santa Catarina. Currently, it is one of the leaders in food production in Brazil, in addition to being a producer and exporter of grains.
It maintains 40,000 direct jobs and operates a manufacturing park consisting of eight pork refrigerating plants, nine poultry refrigerating plants, a dairy industrial plant, ten feed and storage units, in addition to nine hatcheries and farms, 26 commercial units and 12 distributors regional.
15) C.VALE
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1963, in Palotina (PR)
Revenue: R$17.44 billion
Chief executive: Alfredo Lang
Founded by 24 farmers from Paraná, C.Vale is an agro-industrial cooperative that operates in Paraná, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraguay.
It produces soy, corn, wheat, cassava, milk, chicken, fish and pork. In the industrial segment, it produces modified cassava starch and animal feed. It also sells inputs and agricultural machinery and has a supermarket chain. It has 156 business units, 23,000 associates and employs 11,000 people. In 2021, it received 4.7 million tonnes of grain.
16) LAR COOPERATIVA
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1964, in Missal (PR)
Revenue: R$17.41 billion
Main executive: Irineo da Costa Rodrigues
Lar Cooperativa Agroindustrial was founded on March 19, 1964, in the former Gleba dos Bispos, today Missal (PR), by 55 farmers of German descent from Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.
It operates in poultry, swine and dairy farming. It also has industrial activities: food processing, feed production and wood treatment. It has 28 units in the states of Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul and Santa Catarina, and also in Paraguay. It has more than 12,000 associates and 24,000 workers.
17) KLABIN
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1890, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$16.48 billion
Main executive: Cristiano Cardoso Teixeira
One of the largest and oldest paper and cardboard factories in Brazil, Klabin started as a stationery store in São Paulo, founded by Lithuanian immigrant Mauricio Freeman Klabin. It currently operates in the forestry, cellulose, paper and packaging areas. It has 23 factories, 22 in Brazil and one in Argentina, and has more than 25,000 direct and indirect employees.
It is the largest producer and exporter of packaging paper in Brazil, leader in corrugated packaging and industrial bags and the only company in the country to offer hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp.
18) TEREOS INTERNATIONAL
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1932, in Aisne (France). In Brazil since 2002
Revenue: R$15.10 billion
Chief executive: Pierre Santoul
Founded by a cooperative of beet growers in northwest France to produce sugar, Tereos is the third largest sugar and ethanol company in the world. It is present in 13 countries and has 19,800 employees.
It began its internationalization process in the 1990s and arrived in Brazil in 2002 when it bought Açúcar Guarani. It also owns Tereos Açúcar & Energia, Tereos Amido & Adoçantes and Tereos Commodities.
In Brazil, the 2021 harvest yielded 15.6 million tonnes of sugarcane, a 20% drop compared to the average of the last five years.
19) GAVILON DO BRASIL / VITERRA
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 1874, in Sioux City (United States). In Brazil since 2013
Revenue: R$12.79 billion
Chief executive: Fábio Nascimento (interim)
Founded as a grain trading company in the American Midwest under the name of F. H. Peavey, the company remained with the founders for over a hundred years, until 1982, when it was purchased by the American ConAgra Foods.
In 2013 it was acquired by the Japanese trading company Marubeni, which already had operations in Brazil. It has more than 4,000 grain origination contracts in the country, is one of the largest national trading companies, with 18 branches and 210 employees, and one of the leaders in soybean exports.
20) ENGELHART CTP
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 2013, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$10.81 billion
Chief Executive: Huw Jenkins
Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners, soon abbreviated to Engelhart CTP, originated from the commodities desk of BTG Pactual, one of Brazil’s leading investment banks.
The company was founded in 2013, when BTG separated its activities and maintained 20% of the trading capital. Headquartered in London with offices in Brazil, Europe, the United States and Asia, Engelhart focuses its physical trading on the origination of grains, oilseeds and coffee in South America for delivery to Asia, as well as trading in derivatives of energy and metals.
21) COMIGO
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1975, in Rio Verde (GO)
Revenue: R$10.30 billion
Chief executive: Antonio Chavaglia
At 46 years of age, the Cooperativa Agroindustrial dos Produtores Rurais do Sudoeste Goiano (Comigo) brings together more than 10,000 members in the region of Rio Verde, a municipality that ranks 5th in the national ranking of agricultural production. I
ts structure has 11 soybean oil and meal processors, fertilizers, feed, mineral supplements and seeds. In addition, it has 20 warehouses with a capacity to store 30.1 million bags, 16 agricultural stores and the Science and Technology Institute (ITC) dedicated to research and technology monitoring.
22) COCAMAR
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1963, in Maringá (PR)
Revenue: R$9.08 billion
Main executive: Divanir Higino
With 15,000 members who produce soy, corn, wheat, coffee and oranges, Cocamar is present in Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
In agribusiness, it operates from beverage processing, roasting, oil, ethanol, bioinputs, supplements and animal feed to wood treatment and textile industry. It has 97 operating units. It has more than 16,000 associates who work with the production of soy, corn, wheat, coffee and oranges. It is investing R$1 billion in storage structures, input stores and various facilities.
23) BSBIOS
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2005, in Passo Fundo (RS)
Revenue: R$8.89 billion
Chief executive: Erasmo Carlos Battistella
BSBios is among the largest in the biodiesel sector in Brazil, with two units: in Passo Fundo (RS) and Marialva (PR).
In addition to renewable diesel, it produces soybean meal, glycerin and sludge, a by-product of vegetable oil.
In the year, revenues rose 64%. According to the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), the national installed capacity allows for the production of 10.2 million cubic meters per year, with 58 biodiesel plants in operation that use various types of raw material, the main ones being soy and animal tallow.
24) DEXCO
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1961, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$8.17 billion
Main executive: Antonio Joaquim de Oliveira
Belonging to the same Itaú Unibanco group and with a shareholding in the Ligna group (formerly Satipel), Dexco is the largest company in the civil construction sector in the country and is one of the largest forest managers in Brazil, with 83,000 hectares of eucalyptus planted in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul.
It has 42,000 hectares of conservation areas. At the end of 2019, in partnership with the Austrian Lenzing AG, it announced the joint venture LD Celulose for the production of dissolving pulp in the factory built in Triângulo Mineiro (MG).
25) COOPERCITRUS
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1976, in Bebedouro (SP)
Revenue: R$7.98 billion
Chief executive: Fernando Degobbi
Coopercitrus earned almost R$8 billion, up 35% compared to the R$5.929 billion recorded in 2020. Shareholders’ equity totaled R$1.5 billion, up 14.5% over the previous year’s total.
Its operations cover coffee, corn, soy and sugar, seed production, inputs and animal feed, in addition to commercial operations with agricultural machinery concessionaires, convenience stores, rural shopping malls and gas stations. At the base of this movement are around 35,000 farmers in the states of São Paulo, Minas and Goiás.
26) M. DIAS BRANCO
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1936, in Eusébio (CE)
Revenue: R$7.81 billion
Chief executive: Francisco Ivens de Sá Dias Branco Júnior
Owner of 19 d brands of and foodstuffs, including Adria, Vitarella, Piraquê, Basilar, Zabet Isabela and Fortaleza, M.Dias Branco produces cookies, pasta, cakes, snacks, wheat flour, margarines and vegetable fats.
The total average price of products was R$6 per kilo in 2021, an increase of 36% compared to the previous year. The company currently has 17 industries or industrial complexes, seven of which are mills. There are 28 distribution centers in several states, enabling the presence of our brands throughout the national territory, and support for exports to more than 40 countries.
27) CAMIL ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1963, in Itaqui (RS)
Revenue: R$7.46 billion
Chief executive: Luciano Maggi Quartiero
Best known for its rice and beans, Camil is one of the most important food companies in the country. It has important brands in sugar, fish and biscuits, such as Coqueiro, União, DaBarra, Pai João and Carreteiro. It also owns brands such as Costeño, Saman and Tucapel in South America.
Since its public debut in 2017, it has shown a healthy appetite for acquisitions and expansion. Since July 2021, it has announced the acquisition of six companies, including Mabel, which should add around R$1 billion per year to revenues.
28) COOPERALPHA
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1967, in Chapecó (SC)
Revenue: R$7.01 billion
Chief executive: Romeo Bet
With 20,100 producers based in Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso do Sul, Alfa operates in grains, livestock and inputs. It has 219 businesses, including stores, silos, supermarkets, farms, distribution centers, processing industries, fuel stations and distribution of inputs.
It ended 2020 with 20,600 associates and 3,300 employees. And in February 2022, it inaugurated its largest industrial enterprise, Nova Indústria de Oil, with a constructed area of 195,000 m², located in Chapecó, west of Santa Catarina.
29) COOXUPÉ
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1932, in Guaxupé (MG)
Revenue: R$6.70 billion
Main executive: Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Melo
The Regional Cooperative of Coffee Growers in Guaxupé, Cooxupé from Minas Gerais, has more than 17,000 members, 97% of whom are small producers who make their living from family farming.
It is the largest of the 97 coffee cooperatives in the country and its producers are spread across around 200 municipalities in the regions of Sul de Minas, Cerrado Mineiro and Vale do Rio Pardo, in the state of São Paulo. It is also the largest single exporter of coffee in the world, with sales to 51 countries that exceed 5.2 million bags exported.
30) AGROGALAXY
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 2016, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$6.58 billion
Chief executive: Sheila Maria Pereira Albuquerque
Founded in 2016 from the acquisitions of a private equity fund, Agrogalaxy grew through the acquisition of electronic and physical platforms for the distribution of inputs for agribusiness and, later, also started to operate in the area of seeds.
With the 8 new stores, AgroGalaxy ended 2021 with 134 units. In January of this year, the company completed the acquisition of Agrocat, a company that offers integrated solutions for agribusiness and covers 93 municipalities in the states of Mato Grosso and Rondônia.
31) UPL DO BRASIL
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1969, in Mahardrash (India). In Brazil since 2012
Revenue: R$6.53 billion
Chief executive: Rogério Castro
Founded five decades ago as United Phosphorus Limited, UPL is among the world’s top four sustainable agricultural products and solutions companies. Present in 130 countries, it has more than 10,000 employees.
In Brazil, where it arrived in 2012 by taking control of the German agrochemical subsidiary DVA, it expanded its activities in 2019 through the global purchase of the American Arysta LifeScience.
In Brazil, the goal is to double in size between 2020 and 2025, reinforcing operations in soy and corn, and expanding the portfolio to sugarcane, rice, coffee, citrus, cotton and fruit and vegetables.
32) LAT. BELA VISTA / PIRACANJUBA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1955, in Piracanjuba (GO)
Revenue: R$6.4 billion
Main executives: Cesar Helou and Marcos Helou
Laticínios Bela Vista, one of the four largest dairy industries in the country, owns Piracanjuba. The group operates with a production capacity of 6 million liters of milk per day. It has a portfolio of more than 180 products under the brands Piracanjuba, Pirakids, LeitBom, ChocoBom and MeuBom.
It maintains two major partnerships: Blue Diamond (largest almond producer in the world) for the production of Almond Breeze beverages; and Nestlé, for the production and commercialization of Ninho and Molico UHT milks. It employs 3,500 direct employees in seven manufacturing units and twelve cooling stations.
33) BP BUNGE BIOENERGY
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1818, in Amsterdam (Holland). In Brazil since 1905
Revenue: R$6.12 billion
Chief executive: Raul Padilla
Born as a grain trading company in 1818 in the Netherlands, Bunge was one of the first to go international, having started exporting wheat from Argentina to Europe in 1884.
It is currently in around 40 countries and employs 23,000 people. In Brazil since 1905, Bunge has 7,000 employees and has 100 units. It produces oils, mayonnaise and margarines, such as Soya, Primor and Salada. In 2019, it concluded with BP the creation of the joint venture BP Bunge Bioenergia, in which there are 11 sugarcane plants.
34) ELDORADO BRASIL CELULOSE
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 2005, in Três Lagoas (MS)
Revenue: R$6.05 billion
Chief Executive: Carmine de Siervi
In 2021, Eldorado processed 1.77 million tons of hardwood pulp from eucalyptus. According to the company, 18% above the factory’s nominal capacity.
With Brazilian, Canadian and French capital, it manages 230,000 hectares of productive areas and 143,000 hectares of conservation areas. Annual net revenue increased by 37% compared to 2020. Sales reached 1.755 million tonnes in the period, mainly focused on the international market.
35) CASTROLANDA
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1951, in Castro (PR)
Revenue: R$5.55 billion
Chief Executive: Willem Berend Bouwman
Castrolanda has 12 brands that process products from 1,111 members, including dairy products, pork and lamb. The profile of the producers is varied, ranging from large productions to family farming.
The cooperative innovated by creating, alongside two other cooperatives from Paraná, Frísia and Capal, a holding company aimed at achieving gains in scale. Together, the three organizations bring together more than 5,000 members who produce for the domestic market and already export to 25 countries.
36) 3TENTOS
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 1995, in Santa Bárbara do Sul (RS)
Revenue: R$5.33 billion
Main executive: Luiz Osório Dumoncel
One of the only seed companies with Brazilian capital, 3tentos started in 1995 selling wheat seeds. It later expanded its activities to the distribution of fertilizers and agricultural defensives, in addition to operating as a corn and soy trading company.
In 2013, it inaugurated in Ijuí (RS) a logistics center for fertilizers and a soybean crushing unit, producing oil, bran and biodiesel. In 2021, it opened its capital in B3’s Novo Mercado to finance its expansion outside RS, with the construction of units in the Midwest. Today it operates in 50 units and 3 industrial parks.
37) CiBRAFÉRTIL
Sector: Agrochemicals
Foundation: 1994, in Camaçari (BA)
Revenue: R$4.70 billion
Chief executive: Santiago Franco
Founded in Bahia by the Paranapanema Group, Cibrafértil, better known as Cibra, has been controlled since 2012 by the American group Omimex and the British mining company Anglo American.
Omimex operates in the oil and gas segment, in the United States and Canada, and in fertilizers, in Latin America. In addition to a single superphosphate plant in Camaçari, Cibra has nine mixing units for the preparation of NPK compound in the South, Midwest and Northeast regions. It also has the Cibra Store, an online store for the direct sale of fertilizers.
38) AGROFEL
Sector: Agriculture
Foundation: 1977, in Palmeira das Missões (RS)
Revenue: R$4.61 billion
Chief executive: Ronaldo Ferrarin
Founded on June 16, 1977, in the city of Palmeira das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul, Agrofel sells seeds, fertilizers, plant nutrition, agricultural pesticides and also provides grain reception, purchase, sale, exchange and storage services. The company has around 40 service units in Rio Grande do Sul.
39) BELAGRÍCOLA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1985, in Bela Vista do Paraíso (PR)
Revenue: R$4.37 billion
Chief executive: Alberto Araújo
With an eye on the potential of Brazilian agro, in 2017 the Chinese from Shanghai Pengxin, bought 53.99% of Belagrícola, with the condition that the heirs of the founder, João Andreo Colofatti, remained in the management of the business.
The step taken by the family opened a direct channel for selling soybeans and corn to China. Headquartered in Londrina, it is one of the largest distributors of agricultural inputs and grain traders in Brazil. It has 55 input stores and 75 grain reception units, with a storage capacity of 1.4 million tonnes.
40) SLC AGRÍCOLA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1977, in Horizontina (RS)
Revenue: R$4.36 billion
Chief executive: Aurélio Pavinato
The SLC group was founded in 1945 in the municipality of Horizontina, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as a small workshop that maintained the tools of farmers in the region.
In 1977, the group started the activities of SLC Agrícola, one of the world’s largest producers of grains and fibers, focused on the production of cotton, soy and corn. It was one of the first companies in the sector to have shares traded on the stock exchange.
Headquartered in Porto Alegre (RS), the company has 23 production units. In the 2021/2022 harvest, total production 672,400 hectares were planted.
41) SÃO MARTINHO
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1907, in Pradópolis (SP)
Revenue: R$4.30 billion
Chief executive: Fábio Venturelli
Controlled by the holding company LJN Participações, from the Ometto family, the sugar and alcohol group São Martinho is a giant in the Agroenergy sector. The company operates four plants and has 12,500 employees.
In its investment plan, the company added R$60 million to increase the flexibility of its three plants in São Paulo and make a greater production of anhydrous ethanol viable. The contribution is expected to be concluded by the beginning of the 2023/24 harvest.
42) FERTILIZANTES HERINGER
Sector: Agrochemicals
Foundation: 1968, in Manhuaçu (MG)
Revenue: R$4.29 billion
Main executive: Dalton Carlos Heringer
Headquartered in Espírito Santo, Heringer has 14 fertilizer production, sales and distribution units. With a family structure, in 2007 it went public on the B3 Novo Mercado.
The company changed from a basic fertilizer mixer, NPK, to a complex of special and formulated fertilizers. The company maintains three research centers of its own, one for coffee, another for pastures and a third for the development of new agricultural techniques. It also owns a laboratory in Paulínia (SP), with capacity for around 900 chemical analyzes per day.
43) DSM PRODUTOS NUT.
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1902, in Heerlen (Holland). In Brazil since the 1980s
Revenue: R$3.92 billion
Chief executive: Mauricio Adade
DSM is a global health, nutrition and bioscience company. In 2003, it acquired Roche’s vitamins and chemicals businesses, becoming the leader in human and animal nutrition in Latin America.
In 2013, it acquired the Brazilian Tortuga, taking the lead in nutritional supplements for beef and dairy cattle. DSM has 2,300 employees in Latin American markets, around 10% of the organization’s workforce. In 2022, the Brazilian operation acquired Prodap, leader in animal nutrition and technology in Brazil.
44) CITROSUCO
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1963, in Matão (SP)
Revenue: R$3.60 billion
Chief executive: Marcelo Abud
Citrosuco, a subsidiary of the Votorantim Group, is the largest global exporter of orange juice, accounting for 40% of Brazilian shipments.
In concentrated juice it has 20% of global market share. It also sells industrialized fruit by-products, such as animal feed and essential oils.
The company’s largest markets are the United States and European countries. It has 28 production farms in São Paulo and Minas Gerais and five maritime terminals in Brazil, the USA, Belgium, Japan and Australia.
45) COPLACANA
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1948, in Piracicaba (SP)
Revenue: R$3.22 billion
Main executive: Arnaldo Antonio Bortoletto
The Cooperativa dos Plantadores de Cana do Estado de São Paulo was the first association founded in the state. It currently has 34 units, 26 in São Paulo and the others in the states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Of this total, 29 units supply agricultural inputs to the 14,400 cooperative members. The cooperative also has three Massey Ferguson dealerships, two grain receiving units, a confinement unit and 45 partner silos, in addition to two feed mills.
46) ARAUCO DO BRASIL
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1979, in Santiago (Chile). In Brazil since 2007
Revenue: R$3.21 billion
Chief executive: Carlos Altimiras
Founded in Chile in 1979, Arauco is one of the largest pulp and wood companies in the world, with 1 million hectares of forests, of which 110,000 are in Brazil.
It started investing here in 2007, when it acquired part of the activities of the Finnish company Stora Enso, which had acquired the company Inpacel from Paraná.
It is on five continents and serves 4,300 customers. It is investing US$2.35 billion in the modernization and expansion of its units in Chile, which will increase its production capacity by another 1.56 million tonnes per year, reaching 2.1 million tonnes / year.
47) RIO BRANCO ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1968, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Revenue: R$3.17 billion
Main executive: Rodrigo Alves Coelho
With corporate headquarters in Belo Horizonte (MG), Rio Branco Alimentos, or Pif Paf, is the largest meatpacking company in Minas Gerais, with around 10,000 employees. It operates in vertical poultry and pork production chains.
It owns the brands Pif Paf, Fricasa, Uniaves, Club V, Ladelli, Flip, Rio Branco, Pescanobre, among others. The operational structure is distributed in eight states, covering seven industrial plants, seven feed factories, five matrixes and four hatcheries, in addition to 20 distribution centers and transshipment points.
48) AGRO AMAZÔNIA
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 1983, in Cuiabá (MT)
Revenue: R$3.13 billion
Chief Executive: Roberto Motta
Agro Amazônia began its activities as a distributor of inputs for agriculture and livestock, aiming to accompany the growth of agribusiness in the Midwest and North regions of Brazil.
In 2015 it became a subsidiary of the Japanese group Sumitomo. The most recent initiative is the launch of a new brand of soy seeds through a strategic partnership signed with the Argentine company GDM.
49) FS BIOENERGIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2017, in Lucas do Rio Verde (MT)
Revenue: R$3.1 billion
Chief executive: Rafael Davidsohn Abud
FS started operations in June 2017, with the capacity to produce 200 million liters of ethanol per year. Currently, it can produce 1.5 billion liters. In 2023, the estimate is that 2 billion liters and 1.8 million tons of DDGs, the ingredients for animal nutrition, will be produced.
In the 2021/22 harvest, corn processing increased by 27.7% compared to 2020/21, to 3.276 million tonnes, after the expansion of the factory in Sorriso (MT) and the plant in Lucas do Rio Verde (MT) . In 2022, the company should inaugurate its third corn ethanol plant.
50) PRIMA FOODS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1949, in Araguari (MG)
Revenue: R$3.09 billion
Main executive: José Augusto de Carvalho Junior
Prima Foods is the name of Mataboi Alimentos, a meatpacking company founded in 1949. It was purchased in 2014, after a judicial recovery process, by José Batista Júnior, from the founding family of JBS.
The businessman had left the J&F family holding company in 2013, selling his shares to his brothers and father. At the time, he maintained his investment company, JBJ, which included beef and genetic improvement cattle farms and a real estate portfolio.
With three slaughterhouses in the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, the company currently exports to around 100 countries.
51) MÁQUINAS AGRÍCOLAS JACTO
Sector: Agromechanics
Foundation: 1948, in Pompeia (SP)
Revenue: R$3.05 billion
Main executive: Fernando Gonçalves Neto
Jacto was founded by Japanese immigrant Shunji Nishimura, who arrived in Brazil at the age of 21, in 1932. He opened a small repair shop, specialized in sprayers and launched his own product.
It was the beginning of Jacto, which currently has a line of sprayers, planters and harvesters for soy, corn, sugarcane and coffee and is investing in remote monitoring of equipment. The group has 15 factories, one in Argentina and the other in Thailand, and a plant under construction in Pompéia (SP).
52) USINA CORURIPE
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1925, in Coruripe (AL)
Revenue: R$3.03 billion
Main executive: Mario Luiz Lorencatto
Controlled by the Tércio Wanderley group, headquartered in Coruripe (AL), Usina Coruripe is the largest company in the sugar-energy sector in the North and Northeast regions and one of the largest in Brazil.
It has a unit in Alagoas and four others in Minas Gerais, in addition to its own railway terminal. Coruripe has an annual crushing capacity of 15 million tonnes of sugarcane, produces 1 million tonnes of sugar, 500 million liters of ethanol and sells renewable energy. It directly employs more than 8,000 employees.
53) BERNECK PAINÉIS E CERRADOS
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1952, in Bituruna (PR)
Revenue: R$2.99 billion
Main executives: Daniel Berneck and Graça Berneck Gnoatto
Specializing in panels and sawn wood, Berneck works exclusively with planted forests. The forestry division has 84 thousand hectares of land in Paraná and Santa Catarina for the cultivation of pine. Part of the production is exported to 60 countries.
Every year, 7 million trees are planted. Another 88,000 hectares are maintained as native reserves. In 2022, the company celebrated 70 years and the investment of R$1.6 billion for the construction of a new unit in Lages (SC), which should increase its capacity by almost 40%.
54) FRIGOL
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1992, in Lençóis Paulista (SP)
Revenue: R$2.96 billion
Chief executive: Eduardo Miron
Frigol is the fourth largest refrigerator in the country. It was founded by the Gonzaga Oliveira family, which has been operating in the sector since the 1970s. In Brazil, its four units in São Paulo and Pará employ around 2,700 people.
In 2021, exports accounted for 38% of revenues and Frigol has been gaining market share, with two plants authorized to export to China and one to Israel. In addition to the traditional cuts of meat under the Frigol brand, it also sells the Angus Frigol, Chef Churrasco, Chef Suínos and VegVibe lines.
55) SÃO SALVADOR ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1973, in Itaberaí (GO)
Revenue: R$2.83 billion
Main executive: Hugo Perillo Vieira e Souza
Goiana São Salvador Alimentos, which was born from a small farm, owns two brands: SuperFrango and Boua. The first sells poultry meat and the second is dedicated to frozen vegetables, sausages, dairy products, sausages, smoked products, hamburgers, pork cuts and fish.
In 2020, it inaugurated a slaughterhouse in Nova Veneza (GO) and advanced in governance, establishing a board of directors. The company exports to 65 countries, including Africa, Central America, Europe and Asia, with a focus on China.
56) VIGOR ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1917, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$2.67 billion
Chief executive: Luis Gennari
Vigor has gone through several controllers in its 105 years. It already belonged to the Bertin group, acquired by JBS. The company was listed on the B3, but the poor performance of the shares led JBS to delist three years later.
In 2017, Vigor tried to buy Itambé from Minas Gerais, but lost to the French company Lactalis. The fight was only resolved two years later, in 2019, when the Mexican group Lala took control of Vigor, which owns traditional brands such as Leco, Banner Blue and Danubio.
57) PROD. ALIM. ORLÂNDIA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1944, in Orlândia (SP)
Revenue: R$2.62 billion
Chief executive: Eduardo Define
Produtos Alimentícios Orlândia S.A., or Brejeiro, was founded by Italian immigrant Max Leonardo Define as a producer of cotton and rice in bulk. The company remains in the hands of the family.
It was a pioneer in packaging rice to adapt it to supermarkets. Then it expanded its portfolio to soybeans, which paved the way for the energy market. Since 2011, Brejeiro has sold biodiesel. Today it has three soybean crushing units, three seed processing plants, two rice processing plants and ten warehouses.
58) AÇUCAREIRA QUATÁ
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1946, in Macatuba (SP)
Revenue: R$2.57 billion
Chief executive: Fabiano José Zillo
Açucareira Quatá, also known as Zilor Energia e Alimentos, is one of the main companies in the sugar-energy sector. It employs 3,500 people and produces sugar, ethanol and clean, renewable electricity. It also works with natural ingredients through the Biorigin unit, specialized in human food and animal nutrition.
The company has been investing in the cogeneration of electricity and will dedicate R$550 million to expanding the cogeneration capacity by 60% at the Barra Grande and São José units, in São Paulo.
59) USINA ALTO ALEGRE
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1978, in Colorado (PR)
Revenue: R$2.5 billion
Main executive: José Francisco Malheiro Junqueira Figueiredo
Also known as Alto Alegre, the Lincoln Junqueira Group has five plants in the Center-South, two in São Paulo and three in Paraná, with capacity to process 17.5 million tonnes of sugarcane per harvest, and produce 17.6 million of white crystal sugar bags, 5.4 million bags of amorphous refined sugar, 10.6 million bags of VHP sugar, 100,000 bags of demerara sugar. It also produces 420 million liters of fuel ethanol. The group has the capacity to co-generate 700 gigawatts of energy from biomass.
60) EUCATEX IND. COMÉRCIO
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1951, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$2.44 billion
Chief executive: Flávio Maluf
The group exports to 40 countries, in addition to operating in the domestic market, from six factories located in Botucatu and Salto (SP) and Cabo de Santo Agostinho (PE).
It processes, from cultivated eucalyptus forests, products such as laminate flooring, MDF and MDP panels and is also a manufacturer of paints and varnishes. The forests occupy an area of more than 40,000 hectares, spread over 82 owned, leased and partner farms. From this area, 1 million cubic meters of wood are processed per year.
61) J. MACÊDO
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1939, in Fortaleza (CE)
Revenue: R$2.36 billion
Chief executive: Enrique Ricardo Ussher
J. Macêdo started as a commercial representation company for auto parts in 1939. It only started activities in the food sector in the 1950s, importing wheat from the United States.
It is currently the leader in the domestic wheat flour and cake mix sector, distributing brands such as Sol and Dona Benta. It is the second largest national company in the pasta segment. The company has three factories and five mills and employs around 3,000 people directly and indirectly.
62) AGRIBRASIL GLOBAL MARKETS
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 2016, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$2.18 billion
Chief executive: Frederico Humberg
Agribrasil was founded in 2016 by Frederico Humberg and is one of the largest corn and soybean trading companies with Brazilian capital. It originates soybeans and corn from cooperatives, resellers and large producers and exports, managing all the logistics and risks from origination to delivery to the customer.
In 2022, Agribrasil purchased a majority stake in Terminal Santa Catarina (Tesc), located in São Francisco do Sul. The company is preparing for a R$1 billion IPO in 2023.
63) LOUIS DREYFUS CO. SUCOS
Sector: Tradings and Commerce
Foundation: 1851, in Alsace (France). In Brazil since 1942
Revenue: R$2.16 billion
Main executive: Murilo Parada
Founded in 1851 in the Alsace region of France to export wheat to Switzerland, Louis Dreyfus is one of the world’s leading grain trading and processing companies. It is also one of the few centuries-old companies whose control remains with the founding family.
It arrived in Brazil in 1942 with the purchase of Coinbra and operates in coffee, cotton, grains, juices, oilseeds, rice and sugar, being one of the ten largest exporters in the country. It operates around 60 industrial and logistical units in the country and employs around 11,000 people.
64) DELTA SUCROENERGIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1953, in Delta (MG)
Revenue: R$2.14 billion
Main Executive: Robert Carlos Lyra, CEO
With three plants in the Triângulo Mineiro, Delta generates 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. It produces sugar for export, crystal sugar for the domestic market, ethanol and electricity produced from sugarcane bagasse.
It has around 160,000 hectares dedicated to sugarcane cultivation. In the 2022/2023 harvest, it produced 10.1 million tonnes of sugarcane. Of these, 9.7 million were processed in its units, resulting in 17.3 million bags of sugar, 294.,400 cubic meters of ethanol and 550 MWh of energy.
65) NORTOX
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1954, Arapongas (PR)
Revenue: R$2.05 billion
Chief executive: João Marcos Ferrari
Nortox started as an insecticide industry to combat a coffee pest and later expanded its portfolio to herbicides. It is the only Brazilian company in the segment that operates on three business platforms: agricultural pesticides, granulated micro fertilizers and hybrid corn and sorghum seeds.
It has two industrial units in Brazil, the headquarters in Paraná, and a plant in Rondonópolis (MT). Five years ago, it started its international expansion, with operations in Paraguay and Chile. The company also has expansion plans for Colombia, Peru and Uruguay.
66) GRUPO FARTURA HORTIFRUTI
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1979, Belo Horizonte (MG)
Revenue: R$2.01 billion
Chief executive: Carlos Roberto Alves
The Fartura Hortifrut Group, owner of the Oba chain, was founded in 1979 by friends Carlos Alves and Raimundo Alves as a grocery store, with all products for a single price. The strategy shifted to the high-income market after inflation ended.
Fresh food accounts for 77% of sales and the chain has around 70 stores in São Paulo, Goiás and the Federal District, in addition to two distribution centers. At the end of 2020, the company filed a prospectus for going public, but the project did not go ahead.
67) JOAQUIM OLIVEIRA PARTICIPAÇÕES
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1922, in Pelotas (RS)
Revenue: R$2 billion
Chief executive: Luciano Adures de Oliveira
The Rio Grande do Sul company Joaquim Oliveira Participações S/A, Josapar, has the Tio João rice brand as its flagship and also produces beans, soybeans, olive oil, seeds and fertilizers.
It has brands such as Meu Biju, SupraSoy and Azeite Nova Oliva. It exports to around 50 countries and in 2022 it celebrated its centenary raising stakes in the high quality bean market. There are five industrial units, in Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, Paraná and Goiás, in addition to drying and storage branches and distribution units.
68) COLOMBO AGROINDÚSTRIA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1979, in Ariranha (SP)
Revenue: BR$1.99 billion
Chief executive: Anderson Roberto Travagini
The company was born in the 1940s from a family mill. It owns the brands Açúcar Caravelas and Colombo. It has three mills in São Paulo, with a crushing capacity of 10.25 million tonnes of sugarcane per harvest.
In the 2021/22 harvest, it ground 8.3 million tonnes, 10% above the previous harvest, and the expectation is to resume processing more than 10 million tonnes in the 2024/25 harvest. The company has been preparing its IPO with an initial public offering (IPO), still without a date.
69) PAMPLONA ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1948, in Agronomica (SC)
Revenue: R$1.93 billion
Chief Executive: Irani Pamplona Peters
Founded by the couple Lauro and Ana Pamplona, the company started in Agronómica (SC), with the slaughter of cattle, later moving on to pork. The company serves the domestic and foreign markets and the most recent export permit was for Mexico.
Pamplona has an expansion plan until 2025, with an investment of R$300 million projected for the factory in Rio do Sul (SC), R$420 million for the factory in Presidente Getúlio (SC) and another R$225 million projected for feed factory, agriculture and technological updates.
70) EMBARÉ IND. ALIMENT.
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1935, in Taubaté (SP)
Revenue: R$1.87 billion
Chief executive: Alexandre Antunes
The production of milk and fruit sweets, jellies and vegetable soups was the beginning of a complex that later incorporated butter, milk and caramels. Long life milk arrived only in 2011. In 2020, the daily processing capacity reached 2.8 million liters of milk.
At the end of 2021, the company announced its merger with Cearense Betânia Lácteos, which created the fifth largest dairy in the country with potential sales of R$4 billion per year. The new brand, Alvoar Lácteos, hit the market in early 2022, and Embaré was maintained.
71) CERRADINHO PARTICIPAÇÕES
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1973, in Catanduva (SP)
Revenue: R$1.84 billion
Chief executive: Luciano Sanches Fernandes
Cerradinho, a holding company owned by the Sanches Fernandes family, operates in the bioenergy sector and also manages rural properties and agricultural activities.
During the 2021/22 harvest, Cerradinho group companies ground 5.3 million tonnes of sugarcane, 543.1 thousand tonnes of corn, 86% and 95% of their capacity, respectively.
Production was 674,800 cubic meters of hydrous ethanol and 520 GWh of electricity, of which 74% were exported to the distribution network and the remainder destined for the company.
72) SJC BIOENGERGIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2011, Quirinópolis (GO)
Revenue: R$1.78 billion
Chief executive: Abel de Miranda Uchôa
SJC Bioenergia is a joint venture between Cargill and the São João group, a producer of VHP sugar, ethanol, electricity, fiber, protein and vegetable oil. It has two units in Goiás that employ around 4,200 people.
In 2022, it announced the project to duplicate the plant. It currently has a milling capacity of 8,000 tonnes per year, production of 460 million liters of sugarcane ethanol and 160 million liters of corn ethanol, 370,000 tonnes of VHP sugar and generation of 250,000 tonnes of animal nutrition.
73) FRISA FRIGORÍFICO RIO DOCE
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1968, in Colatina (ES)
Revenue: R$1.72 billion
Chief executive: Arthur Arpini Coutinho
Frigorífico Rio Doce, or Frisa, which slaughters exclusively cattle, has units in Colatina (ES), where its headquarters are located, in addition to Nanuque (MG), Teixeira de Freitas (BA) and a distribution center in Niterói (RJ).
It employs around 3,000 people. Frisa’s slaughter capacity is 1,600 cattle per day, with a mix of around 100 packaged cuts for consumption and for sale to food services. It was a pioneer in exporting meat, still in the 1970s, and today it exports to around 60 countries.
74) COOP. AGR. ADAMANTINA
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1965, in Adamantina (SP)
Revenue: R$1.68 billion
Main executive: Osvaldo Kunio Matsuda
The Cooperativa Agrícola Mista de Adamantina (Camda) was born with the objective of strengthening the commercialization of production, acquisition of inputs, seedlings, seeds and other products for planting and harvesting.
Today it has 28,000 members, employs 980 people and has 43 units in five states in the South, Southeast and Midwest. It has three factories (two in São Paulo and one in Mato Grosso do Sul), two logistics centers, a silo, an experimental farm and a soil analysis laboratory.
75) IND. CANAÃ AÇÚCAR E ÁLCOOL
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1980, in Paraguaçu Paulista (SP)
Revenue: R$1.64 billion
Chief executive: Paulo Adalberto Zanetti
For over 40 years in the national sugarcane market, Cocal Comércio Indústria Canaã Açúcar e Álcool, or just Cocal, produces its own sugarcane and manufactures sugar, ethanol, electricity, biogas, green CO2 (food grade) and yeast.
The company has 142,000 hectares under management, crushing capacity of 8.7 million tonnes of sugarcane per year, which leads to the production of 720,000 tonnes of sugar, generation of 470 GWh of electricity for export and 400 million liters of ethanol. It employs around 5,000 people.
76) IRANI PAPEL E EMBALAGEM
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1941, in Vargem Bonita (SC)
Revenue: R$1.61 billion
Main executive: Sérgio Luiz Cotrim Ribas
Irani Paper and Packaging is one of the main manufacturers of paper and corrugated cardboard for packaging. Its five units are located in four states (Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul), and produce packaging paper, corrugated cardboard boxes and sheets, rosin and turpentine.
It employs more than 2,000 direct employees. In 2021, it produced 294 thousand tonnes of packaging paper. With an ongoing investment package of R$976 million, Irani plans to expand its capacity by 2030.
77) GUARARAPES PAINÉIS
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1984, in Palmas (PR)
Revenue: R$1.6 billion
Chief executive: Ricardo Pedroso
Guararapes Painéis is the fourth largest producer of MDF (medium density fiberboard) in Brazil, and the second largest exporter in the country. It has three units, Caçador (SC), which produces MDF, and two plywood units, in Palmas (PR) and Santa Cecília (SC).
Guararapes has a production capacity of 600,000 cubic meters per yearand exports panels to over 50 countries. At the end of 2020, the company submitted an IPO prospectus to the CVM, but the initiative did not prosper.
78) USINA ALTA MOGIANA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1983, in São Joaquim da Barra (SP)
Revenue: R$.52 billion
Main executive: Luiz Gustavo Junqueira Figueiredo
Usina Alta Mogiana S/A produces sugar, ethanol and electricity at the plant in São Joaquim da Barra, in the interior of São Paulo, which has an installed capacity for crushing more than 6.7 million tonnes of sugarcane and production 10.5 million bags of sugar, more than 240 million liters of ethanol and cogenerated energy of 250 GWh. The company currently employs around 3,500 people in the operation.
79) CIA. MINEIRA AÇÚCAR E ÁLCOOL
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2006, in Uberaba (MG)
Revenue: R$1.37 billion
Main executive: Carlos Eduardo Turchetto Santos
Companhia Mineira de Açúcar e Álcool (CMAA) was created in 2006 by the JF Citrus Group. In 2013, Indoagri, from the Indonesian group Salim, acquired 50% of the company.
CMAA has three plants in the Triângulo Mineiro region. In the 2021/22 harvest, 7.93 million tonnes of sugarcane were processed, up 15% compared to the 2020/21 harvest. The number represents 79% of the capacity of CMAA, which has the infrastructure to produce 2,700 cubic meters of ethanol, 4,000 tonnes of sugar and 125 MW per day.
80) PASTIFÍCIO SELMI
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1887, in Campinas (SP)
Revenue: R$1.23 billion
Chief executive: Ricardo Oliveira Selmi
Pastifício Selmi, owner of the Renata, Galo and Todeschini brands, was created as a corporation in 1956, but its history dates back to 1887, when Italian immigrant Adolpho Selmi founded a small pasta factory in Campinas. Since then, Selmi has taken second place in the pasta market in Brazil.
Its portfolio includes various types of pasta, flour, biscuits, cake and olive oil. The company has factories in Sumaré (SP) and Rolândia (PR), in addition to its own mill.
81) BRASIL AGRO
Sector: Trading and Commerce
Foundation: 2006, in São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$1.22 billion
Chief executive: André Guillaumon
BrasilAgro is one of the largest Brazilian companies in terms of arable land, focusing on food production and the purchase and sale of farms. It has already invested R$.2 billion and currently operates 286,000 hectares of land in six Brazilian states, Paraguay and Bolivia.
In June 2022, the farm portfolio was valued at R$3.3 billion. Since the beginning of the operation, BrasilAgro has already sold 97,736 hectares of agricultural land, totaling R$1.7 billion and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) between 14% and 56%.
82) USINA SANTA ADÉLIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1937, in Jaboticabal (SP)
Revenue: R$1.1 billion
Chief Executive: Josmar Verillo
Usina Santa Adélia has two plants in São Paulo, in the municipalities of Jaboticabal and Pereira Barreto. It employs 3,000 direct workers and generates electricity by burning sugarcane bagasse.
In 2022, it secured financing of US$ 0 million from the International Finance Corporation and Rabobank to expand ethanol production and renew 24,100 hectares of sugarcane crops, and intends to use satellite and drone images to survey meteorological information and assess potential impacts on crops.
83) USINA DE LATICÍNIOS JUSSARA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1954, in Patrocínio Paulista (SP)
Revenue: R$1.1 billion
Main executive: Odorico Alexandre Barbosa
Usina de Laticínios Jussara was one of the first companies in the state of São Paulo to produce pasteurized milk and also to distribute the product in plastic bags.
Years later, it introduced the carton package. It has collection points in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and Goiás, which daily receive milk produced by more than 4,000 producers. Jussara’s new manufacturing line allows milk to be bottled in PET bottles.
84) JALES MACHADO
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1980, in Goianésia (GO)
Revenue: R$1.08 billion
Chief executive: Otávio Lage de Siqueira Filho
Jalles Machado was born from the movement of producers in the region of Goianésia, in Goiás, under the leadership of Otávio Lage. Today, in addition to ethanol, the company produces sugar, both conventional and organic, and electricity from sugarcane bagasse and straw.
It went public in 2021 and in October 2022 completed the acquisition of the Santa Vitória plant (MG). Currently, it has three plants with the capacity to process 9 million tonnes of sugarcane per harvest.
85) CAFÉ CACIQUE
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1959, in Londrina (PR)
Revenue: R$1.07 billion
Chief executive: Sergio Pereira
Present in over 70 countries, Cacique has developed a portfolio of around 65 products. It is currently the largest exporter of soluble coffee in Brazil, with a 45% market share.
The company was a pioneer in the export of soluble coffee, which is part of the business strategy focused on market expansion and diversification. Cacique produces 32,000 tons of soluble coffee per year in two factories, one in Londrina (PR) and the other, recently built, in Linhares (ES).
86) BOA SAFRA SEMENTES
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 2009, in Formosa (GO)
Revenue: R$1.04 billion
Chief Executive: Marino Colpo
Founded by brothers Marino Colpo and Camila Stefani Colpo, the company is a leader in the production of soybean seeds. It went public on B3’s Novo Mercado in 2021, with an IPO that moved R$460 million. The company has seed processing units in Formosa (GO), Cabeceiras (GO), Buritis (MG), and Jaborandi (BA).
In 2022, it built distribution centers in the cities of Sorriso (MT) and Balsas (MA), in addition to a processing unit in Primavera do Leste (MT).
87) CLEALCO AÇÚCAR E ÁLCOOL
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1980, in Clementina (SP)
Revenue: R$1.03 billion
Chief executive: Gustavo Henrique Rodrigues
Clealco has three units in the São Paulo municipalities of Clementina, Queiroz and Penápolis. It employs around 3,000 people and produces VHP sugar, anhydrous and hydrous ethanol, electricity, in addition to by-products such as biomass, yeast cream and fusel oil.
The company recorded its best historical result in the 2021/22 harvest, with a net profit of R$334.3 million, five times higher than the 2020/21 harvest. In the last period, it crushed 4.8 million tonnes of sugarcane and expanded sugarcane plantations in more than 40,000 hectares of planted sugarcane.
88) MANTIQUEIRA ALIMENTOS
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1987, in Itanhandu (MG)
Revenue: R$1.02 billion
Chief executive: Leandro Pinto
Mantiqueira Brasil was the first automated farm in the national market. It has the largest egg production unit in the world in Primavera do Leste (MT), which houses 6 million chickens.
The company expanded its activities to agriculture, livestock, storage and production of the Solobom soil conditioner. Currently, the group has more than 2,500 employees, and is responsible for the largest egg production in South America, with 14 million laying hens in its 11 units.
89) COOP. C. NOVO DO PARECIS
Sector: Cooperatives
Foundation: 1980, in Campo Novo do Parecis (MT)
Revenue: R$1.01 billion
Main executive: Luís Carlos Loro
The city of Campo Novo do Parecis has the fourth largest agribusiness GDP in Brazil. On average, per year, R$3.4 billion are generated in the region. Coprodia is a milestone in this successful trajectory. Inaugurated in 1980 by producers who moved from the south of the country, it produces sugar and ethanol. It operates with 1,500 direct employees and 50 cooperative members, who produced 190 million liters of ethanol and 2.8 million bags of crystal sugar in the 2021/2022 harvest.
90) FERTGROW
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 2011, in São Luís (MA)
Revenue: R$1.01 billion
Chief executive: Cassiano Rodrigo Prado
The company is close to the Port of Itaqui. Since 2011, it operates in the industrialization and distribution of substances to the soil. The raw material is imported and the formulas are produced for sale on the domestic market, with emphasis on the Matopi region, formed by Maranhão, Tocantins and Piauí.
Fertgrow has a partnership with Agrex do Brasil, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, which bets on the Barter segment, and the Russian company Uralkali.
91) OURO FINO SAÚDE ANIMAL
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1987, in Cravinhos (SP)
Revenue: R$905 million
Main executive: Kleber Gomes (CEO)
Created by childhood friends Jardel Massari and Norival Bonamichi in 1987, the animal health company works with research, development, production and commercialization of vaccines and medicines and has subsidiaries in Mexico and Colombia. In Brazil, it has more than 4,000 customers. In 2022, the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui acquired the shares of two other partners (Opportunity and BNDES), adding up to 29% of the company’s capital.
92) TAUÁ BRASIL PALMA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 2007, in Belém do Pará
Revenue: R$894 million
Main executive: Eduardo Gonçalves Pereira Júnior
The company was created in 2010 after an agreement for the production of vegetable oil and biofuel between the governments of Brazil and Portugal, but it reoriented its production to the domestic market due to the high demand in the beauty, food and biodiesel segments.
As of July 1, 2022, Ecotauá Participações and Tauá Brasil Palma were definitively incorporated by the company Belém Bioenergia Brasil., which maintains more than 40,000 hectares between its own plantations and that of family farmers.
93) USINA BAZAN
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1963, Pontal (SP)
Revenue: R$884 million
Chief executive: Ângelo José Bazan
Headquartered at the Dois Córregos Farm, the group has two units in Pontal (SP), called Bela Vista and Bazan. Since 1963, the company has been selling and producing sugar, ethanol and derivatives.
In 2020, it guaranteed the company’s national leadership in sugar exports by container, with 561.51 thousand tonnes shipped in this higher value-added mode. The two units totaled 7,870 tonnes of production transported by ship’s hold in the same period.
94) AGRÍCOLA FAMOSA
Sector: Food and Beverage
Foundation: 1995, Mossoró (RN)
Revenue: R$880 million
Chief executive: Carlo Porro
Largest exporter of fresh fruit in the country and located between the ports of Natal, Mucuripe and Pecém, Agrícola Famosa enjoys the closest outlets to the European continent.
Thousands of tonnes of fruit are exported to the British, Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish markets. At the moment, sales are expanding to Dubai, Singapore, Russia, Lithuania, the United States and Canada, among others.
95) ARAUCO PAINÉIS
Sector: Wood, Pulp and Paper
Foundation: 1979, in Santiago (Chile). In Brazil since 2007
Revenue: R$876 million
Chief executive: Carlos Altimiras
Founded in Chile in 1979, Arauco is one of the largest pulp and wood companies in the world, with 1 million hectares of forests, 114,000 of which in Brazil, where it arrived in 2007.
It currently has four factories here, with capacity to produce 1.52 million cubic meters of MDF and 260,000 cubic meters of plywood per year. In 2022, it announced an investment of US$3 billion in a factory in Mato Grosso do Sul, which will add a production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of pulp per year to the Brazilian operation.
96) AGRO ENERGIA SANTA LUZIA
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 2007, in the West region of São Paulo
Revenue: BR$855 million
Chief executive: Gustavo Alvares
With three agro-industrial centers, the company is present in four Brazilian states: São Paulo, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. It has a production capacity of 700,000 tonnes of VHP (Very High Polarization) sugar and 3 billion liters of anhydrous and hydrated ethanol, in addition to generating clean electricity from sugarcane biomass capable of lighting the homes of more than 15 million people.
97) USINA SANTA FÉ
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1925, in Nova Europa (SP)
Revenue: BR$838 million
Chief executive: Francisco Sylvio Malzoni
The saga of the Itaquerê Group began in 1925, when the Magalhães family inaugurated the Companhia Açucareira Itaquerê sugar mill. In 1972, businessman Roberto Malzoni bought the company, which was renamed Usina Santa Fé. The second front is Agropecuária Nova Europa, which owns the group’s land. The group can store 1.35 million 50-kilogram bags of crystal sugar and 84 million liters of ethanol.
98) USINA BATATAIS
Sector: Agroenergy
Foundation: 1985, in Batatais (SP)
Revenue: R$825 million
Chief executive: Bernardo Biagi
Thanks to investments in technology and management, Usina Batatais stands out in the sugar-energy market. Both planting and harvesting are automated at all stages of production, ensuring high efficiency. A strong point is the adoption of practices aligned with ESG principles. With more than 2,000 employees, the company is proud to move the economy of the city of Batatais, where it is headquartered. The company’s first branch is located in the city of Lins.
99) VITTIA FERTILIZANTES
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1971, in São Joaquim da Barra
Revenue: R$779 million
Chief executive: Wilson Romanini
As soybean cultivation increased between Ribeirão Preto and Triângulo Mineiro, the need for inoculants arose. And Vittia saw an excellent opportunity to act. In five decades, the company expanded production and research to develop high-tech bioinputs for agriculture.
The group also works with coffee, corn, citrus fruits, beans, cotton, sugar cane, winter cereals and pasture crops. A little over a year ago, it went public on B3.
100) SIPCAM NICHINO BRASIL
Sector: Agrochemicals and Inputs
Foundation: 1979, São Paulo (SP)
Revenue: R$772 million
Chief executive: Alexandre Gobbi
Control of the joint venture focused on the Brazilian agrochemical market is divided between Sipcam, a company of the Sipcam-Oxon Group, in the segment since 1946, and the Japanese company Nichino, specialized in the development of crop protection molecules.
Headquartered in Uberaba (MG), the industrial unit has 254,000 m². The company invests in technology to have sustainable crops, producing agrochemicals that fight pests, weeds and agricultural diseases with less impact on the ecosystem.
With information from Forbes