Connection Terroirs from Brazil: World´s Breadbasket, to the World's Tables
Publicado em 05/06/2025
Divulgação
In Gramado, we experienced a remarkable event, the Connection Terroirs of Brazil, organized by Rossi Zorzanello in partnership with Sebrae.
Published on June 2nd/2025
Agriconscient Show
Broadcast by Radio Eldorado Estadão – Brazil
*José Luiz Tejon
Translated by Teacher Francisco Barbosa Bardhal
In the city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, we had a memorable experience attending the Connection Terroirs of Brazil, an event organized by Rossi Zorzanello in collaboration with Sebrae ( Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service), held from May 29 to June 1st.
It is strategically important for Brazil to embrace this "terroir" positioning on the global stage. The term "terroir", a French word derived from the Latin "territorium", goes beyond its popular understanding as products with distinctive flavours from a specific agricultural community.
In a broader sense, it encompasses a community's cultural and identity aspects, including family ties, shared traditions, and bonds of solidarity. Up to now, Brazil has 133 geographical indications (GIs), a commendable achievement spearheaded by aforementioned Sebrae.
Hilda Giesbrecht, Sebrae´s National Coordinator of Future-Oriented Technologies, explains: "Geographical indications recognize territories whose products carry unique identities, valuing knowledge, traditions, and exceptional qualities. GIs add value and promote diversity. In five years, GI registrations jumped from 75 to 133, generating income for 1,750 municipalities and benefiting 150,000 small businesses." Concluded Ms. Giesbrecht.
Looking at the world, we see that dominance over global dining tables belongs precisely to the countries that have best cultivated and promoted their "terroirs" such as Italy, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, and France.
Meanwhile, major commodity producers like China, the US, and Brazil remain largely absent from this narrative of flavor, health, sensory experience, and community.
In Brazil, the GIs recognized by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) include 104 indications of provenance and 29 denominations of origin. Fruit farming leads with 20 registrations, followed by coffee, food products, and handicrafts. Wines and sparkling wines account for 12 GIs, while meats, fish, and derivatives have 9. In total, 17 different types of activities are registered.
The highly positive aspect of this concept and Sebrae’s efforts in Brazil is that we have a cultural origin rooted in the blending of all the peoples who formed our tropical society. unique on the planet, with enormous economic, social, and environmental potential.
Moreover, through our "national tropical terroirs," we'll significantly impact the expansion of agribusiness alongside cooperativism in every Brazilian city, while shaping a global image aligned with the trends and desires of new generations, including Generation Beta (those born from 2025 onward). These generations expect and appreciate the small-scale, the familial, unique flavors, environmental health in every sense, and the sensory and cultural experience of food, beverages, handicrafts, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fashion, art, and music. Truly, from local to global.
This connection will increasingly involve business-to-business (B2B) relationships, meaning GI suppliers will also push corporations on developing niches and segments deeply connected to their origins.
Tourism, in turn, experiences exponential growth directly linked to "terroirs". In Gramado, we attended lectures and a fair featuring 51 Brazilian terroirs: Vale dos Vinhedos in the Serra Gaúcha and the new GI for yerba mate. Numerous examples were showcased, such as Corupá’s (SC) exceptionally sweet bananas, a project developed by Embrapa Food and Territories, presented by Dr. Renata Silva from the innovation sector.
The GI Matas de Rondônia, the first denomination of origin for sustainable canéfora coffee type in the world, involving indigenous communities.
All Brazilian regions were represented, from South to North: Espírito Santo’s cocoa almonds, Canastra and Alta Mogiana coffee, Pinhal region products, Jabuticaba derivatives from Sabará (MG), Mantiqueira of Minas Gerais, Ceará’s "cerâmica da alegria" (joyful pottery).
These 51 high-quality and promising examples are part of an initiative that will undoubtedly enhance Brazil’s reputation, establishing it not only as the world’s breadbasket and super market but also as "the world’s dining table."
Italy is the largest terroir on Earth, dominating dining tables worldwide. With no doubt, we can turn Brazil into a vast "tropical Italy" embracing our unique terroirs, while simultaneously developing Agri-Citizenship across all nations in the Earth’s tropical belt.
Even in São Paulo, we can identify various terroirs. A notable initiative originates from our boroughs: Núcleo Casa Verde, Limão, and Cachoeirinha, which map the interconnected cultural aspects of these neighbourhoods within the city.
Congratulations to Sebrae and Rossi Zorzanello for organizing this Connection Terroirs Brazil in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, where temperatures dropped below 5°C, Hearts at 50°C.
*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.
