Time to put our country First
Publicado em 04/12/2025
Divulgação
Published on December 1st, 2025
Agriconscient Show – Broadcast by Rádio Eldorado / Estadão – Brazil
By José Luiz Tejon
Translated / Copydesk by Teacher Francisco Barbosa Bardhal
Brazil accounts for 23% of global fertilizer purchases. In Estadão’s News, November 30 edition (section A19), journalist Mr Lourival Sant’Anna highlights key aspects of Brazil’s agribusiness security in his article, “Time to Think About the National Interest.”
Today, we see two major global powers locked in a type of confrontation that did not exist before, at least not from the standpoint of economic power: the United States, the world’s largest GDP, and China, the world’s second-largest GDP, three times bigger than the third-largest economy. Yes, the former Soviet Union had significant military might, but it was nowhere near China’s current economic scale.
And as we have emphasised here on Agroconscient Show, Brazil is becoming a global food powerhouse. With China as our main customer, the United States can no longer use food supplies as leverage to bring President Xi Jinping to his knees.
In his article, Mr Lourival Sant’Anna also reminds us of Brazil’s dependence on fertilizer imports, around 90%, having Russia alone accounting for 25% of everything we import in this sector. Brazil, by itself, purchases 23% of all fertilizer in the world.
Agricultural production costs in Brazil are currently heavily impacted by rising fertilizer and input prices. This situation pushes us to focus on pre-farmgate structural issues such as technology, mechanization, inputs, genetics, and, most critically, fertilizers as a strategic priority for national Agribusiness security.
Donald Trump increased tariffs on India from 25% to 50%, just because India was importing Russian oil.
Trump wants, and needs like no one else, to sell soybeans to China, under the excuses that “If you don’t do this, I’ll be called a traitor by my rural voters.”
Therefore, we face enormous global risks and must urgently reduce our exposure throughout the Agribusiness Brazilian Complex, including logistics and Agri-industrialization.
Nitrogen and phosphorus imports, the macronutrients of fertilizers, have gradually been replaced with suppliers other than Russia.
However, the central strategy for putting Brazil first lies in a leadership, planning, and full attention to the National Fertilizer Plan, which aims to reduce our dependence on foreign supplies to about 45% to 50% a.s.a.p.
Additionally, we must encourage investments in industrial biofertilizer plants. I note here two important examples: Campo Forte by JBS Group, and the Primato Cooperative in western Paraná in partnership with MWM Tupy.
We also need strong support for research institutions such as Embrapa, so well exemplified by Dr. Mariângela Hungria, Brazil’s 2025 Agriculture Nobel laureate, whose research on Nitrogen fixation in soil greatly contributes to improved soil fertility and reduced production costs.
Research, creativity, and, above all, straight focus mustn´t be undermined by polarized and petty conflicts which, as Lourival Sant’Anna wrote, are egocentric and rooted not in ideology but in what he calls “Egonomies.”
If we fail to put Brazil first, we´ll all end up in the relegation zone, as we call in football, in the “Second Division.”
Agribusiness is far too important not to receive Strict Strategic Leadership.
On December 1st, the Cosag—Fiesp’s Superior Council of Agribusiness, held its final meeting of the year, featuring Mr Murillo de Aragão, attorney, political scientist, and sociologist, who´ll give a speech on “An Overview of the Current Brazilian Political Landscape.
The program will also include “Irrigation in Brazil,” presented by Dr Lineu Neiva Rodrigues, researcher at Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) Cerrados` Division and a master's and doctoral in Agricultural Engineering.
Dr Roberto Rodrigues, former Minister of Agriculture and now a Cosag (Superior Council of Agribusiness) advisor, will deliver the closing remarks.
May this Cosag–Fiesp Forum always serve the mission of putting our country first.
Thank you, Mr Jacyr Costa Filho, president of Cosag, for your effective leadership.
*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, Agroceres and Jacto S/A; 2025 Award Agriworld Group.
