Eldorado/Estadão – A better Government holding best private sector alliance

Publicado em 07/11/2024

Superior Council of Agribusiness (Cosag) of Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo)

Published 0n Nov/11th/2024 

Radio Eldorado/Estadão – Agroconsciente 

*Prof. Dr. José Luiz Tejon

At the Superior Council of Agribusiness (Cosag) of Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo), an excellent debate took place this week about the recent megacity Mayor elections.

However, in addition to the assessments of trends between political groups of “Bolsonaristas x Lulistas” (stands for President Bolsonaro versus actual Presidente Lula), we heard wise conclusions such as, for instance: “To have a better Government we need a better articulation of the Private Initiative added to the alliance with organized Civil Society”.

Thus, as brilliantly put with emphasis by one of the presenters, Mr. Paulo Hartung, who was Governor of Espírito Santo and today chairs the Brazilian Tree Industry (IBA): “The conversation of left versus right no longer takes us to the future; we need to look ahead and not discuss 30, 40 years of the past”. The Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG), inspired by Ney Bittencourt de Araújo, was created in the early 1990s with the same objective of bringing together, coordinating, and implementing integrated strategic planning involving all links along the production chains and the government integration into a state plan.

ABAG today seeks to position itself precisely as a “National Agribusiness Alliance”.

For a better government, we need an organised civil society, united by coordinating the foundations of governance, management, and strategic planning.

We have good examples such as the cotton sector, the Renovabio initiatives, and now the Fuel of the Future law, new paths with more recent examples, such as Cecafe + Serasa Agro in Switzerland.

Brazilian Cooperatives, themselves, are showing examples of the potential of Social Organisation, as in the city of Maringá, Paraná, the existence of the Development Council with Private Sector, entities demonstrating it´s the path to the future.

Business leaders, on their part, need to talk to each other: Presidents who represent farmers need to talk to the CEOs of international clients because industry, commerce, and services are, before the farm gates, not only but sellers, or beyond the farm gates are customers and clients of the countryside.

In short words, there is no point in complaining about the government and discussing involving the Left versus Right, or even expecting a strategic plan for Brazilian agriculture. If we achieve this stepstone, it would increase the country's GDP to double in the short or medium term.

So, we only have one direction left: An alliance with the Private Sector hand in hand with an organized civil society. Achieving this is quite sure that will celebrate a much better government.

It isn´t about a smaller government, but rather a better government.

May the alliance always prevail the focus on the future.

*José Luiz Tejon - PhD in Education-Universidad de La Empresa/Uruguay. Master's degree in Art Education and History of Culture - Mackenzie University. Journalist and Publicist - Harvard, MIT and PACE/USA / Insead in France  Specialisation Academic Coordinator of Master Science Food & Agribusiness Management at  Audencia in Nantes/France and FECAP/ Brazil. Managing Partner at Biomarketing and TCA International.  Professional Head at Agro Anefac.  Writer author and Co-author of 37 books.  Agro Personality Award 2023. ABAG. Former director of Grupo Estadão, Agroceres and Jacto S/A.