Government says Brazil’s agriculture feeds the world and can boost country’s image abroad

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ministers of Environment, Ricardo Salles, and Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, met with several productive sector representatives on Thursday, March 11th, to discuss how to boost the country’s image abroad and Brazil’s position at the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26), to be held in November, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Salles called for the engagement of organizations. “He is starting to build support so he won’t be alone,” said a cabinet advisor who attended the meeting. On Twitter, Tereza Cristina championed the image of Brazilian agribusiness by sharing pictures of the meeting.

“Brazil is an agro-environmental powerhouse. We produce responsibly, with innovation and sustainability. We want to show our true agro to the world,” she wrote.

In November last year, Brazil’s Vice-President and coordinator of the National Council for the Legal Amazon, Hamilton Mourão, said he wanted to set up a Brazilian task force for the next climate summit. He said at the time that Brazil’s participation can’t consist of “isolated ministers,” as was the case until 2019.

Thursday’s meeting was about Brazil’s position at the COP 26, but not about the “technicalities of the agreement,” said a source who attended the meeting. “The discussion was about the need for Brazil, through many speakers, to make it clear that it is unhappy with the negotiation model,” another participant said.

At the Madrid COP in 2019, the Brazilian delegation, headed by Salles, was criticized by the international community for allegedly holding up negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement rules, which addresses market mechanisms.

“Minister Ricardo Salles wants to ensure consistency in speeches and demands. So he summoned the sector to have this debate and seek convergence,” he added.

In a statement, the Ministry of Environment said that the meeting served to discuss environmental issues such as illegal deforestation and climate change.

“Ideas and proposals for sustainable development, carbon market and reduction of emissions by tackling landfills and lack of basic sanitation were heard.”

The Ministry also reported that ideas to boost Brazil’s image abroad were discussed, given the upcoming international events on the environment throughout the year, such as the Leaders’ Climate Summit, in April in the United States, and COP 26.

The meeting was attended by representatives from industry, agriculture and livestock, foreign trade, energy, and environmental sectors.

Source: Valor

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