BRICS: Brazil and the World’s Potential in Food and Agribusiness
Publicado em 10/07/2025
Divulgação
BRICS Summit Begins in Rio de Janeiro
Published on July 7, 2025
Agriconscient Show – Broadcast by Radio Eldorado / Estadão – Brazil
Translated / Copy Desk by Teacher Francisco Barbosa Bardhal
*José Luiz Tejon
The BRICS Summit is currently taking place in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on environmental challenges, artificial intelligence, trade, and tariffs. However, there seems to be a notable oversight regarding a crucial regenerative foundation for the world today: food security, energy security, social stability, environmental sustainability, and climate change.
Among the BRICS nations, three of the world’s four largest agricultural producers are members. China leads, producing nearly double the grain output of all others. The United States ranks second, but the third and fourth positions belong to BRICS members. Brazil, which is expected to harvest over 335 million tons of grain this season, followed by India in fourth place.
However, Brazil stands alone as the only country capable of tripling its food production and expanding its entire Agribusiness system. The BRICS bloc also encompasses the largest consumer market, including the Halal market, and possesses key input supplies such as fertilizers.
This immense potential requires strategic planning and investment to address climate, social, and geopolitical challenges. When considering BRICS members and invited nations,11 in total, including Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Indonesia, as well as India, China, and Brazil, we see the world’s largest agricultural sector alongside two other critical vectors: the planet’s largest population (the biggest consumer base) and nearly 80% of the world’s 600 million rural properties, as reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
In other words, nearly 500 million of the world’s agricultural units are in developing nations, where hunger, poverty, and inequality are concentrated. So, without strategic, scientific, and inclusive social development, the core issues on the BRICS agenda, being discussed today in Rio, cannot be resolved:
Environment, Digital Science & AI (where geneticists are already leveraging AI to advance genetics); and the understanding that the golden key for achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is rooted in agricultural regeneration, healthy soils, plants, animals, forests, water, air, and farmers themselves. The BRICS and the “Tropical Belt Nations” represent a regenerative global alliance with tremendous overall ESG potential.
Farmers will increasingly be recognized as "Agents of Global Health" rather than merely "agricultural producers." An agricultural army of 500 million farmers, along with their families and the economic links before and beyond the farm gates, represents the planet’s greatest economic force, not just in food production but as a synonym for peace, as often emphasized by Mr. Roberto Rodrigues, our former minister of agriculture.
Brazil is the only BRICS nation with the knowledge and potential to triple its food and Agribusiness strategy. While BRICS countries have considerable agricultural strength and large populations, Brazil uniquely holds the world's leading expertise in Tropical Science and Technology, focused on food, energy, environmental, and social management. This is exemplified by its innovative cooperative models, which are being celebrated this year as the International Year of Cooperatives.
This power, shaping the future, will dominate the global landscape, directly impacting the economic and environmental interests of the world’s wealthiest nations. A World Bank study forecasts that, by 2050, the six largest economies will be China, the U.S., India, Indonesia, Japan, and Brazil, four of them, BRICS members.
Thus, agricultural sciences and their techno-scientific ecosystem, value-adding, global citizenship, value chains, and “ agriconscient” principles are far more essential than what circulates on social media.
The BRICS bloc holds considerable influence in the food, energy, social, and environmental sectors. It’s a matter of management, science, and cooperation. BRICS and the “Tropical Belt Nations”: stands for a regenerative global alliance with immense overall ESG potential.
*Prof.Dr.José Luiz Tejon - PhD in Education Universidad de La Empresa/Uruguay; Academic Director Brazil+Tropical Belt Nations at International Agribusiness MBA Audencia France & Fecap Brazil; Master's degree in Art Education and History of Culture - Mackenzie University; Journalist and Publicist - Harvard, MIT and PACE/USA/ Insead in France; Specialization Academic Coordinator of Master's Science Food & Agribusiness Management at Audencia in Nantes/ France, and FECAP/Brazil; Managing Partner at Biomarketing and TCA International; Professional Head at Agri Anefac; Writer, author and co-author of 37 books; Agri Personality Award 2023/ABAG -100 Most Influential People in Agribusiness; Former director of Grupo Estadão, Agriceres and Jacto S/A; 2025 Award Agriworld Group.
