From beast to beauty

Success is not improvised: it is the result of hard work and evolution. This is what agribusiness has invested in, to the point of transforming the country in 40 years.

We went from being a food importer to becoming the second largest exporter, and what's more: We have the prospect of assuming world leadership in the next decade.

Much has changed. Today, agriculture is highly technological, breaking successive production records without expanding the planted area, supplying the domestic market with quality products, and still sustaining the trade balance.

With agriculture proving to be the healthiest sector of the economy, we no longer need to chase after presidential candidates. Now, they seek out agribusiness to learn about our agenda. The tables have turned: from a beast, agriculture is transformed into something beautiful, which is good for the country.

We still have a full agenda for the coming years. But we have overcome some old problems with the federal government's understanding over the last three years.

In an unprecedented move, the government was willing to understand and support the sector, overcoming limitations imposed by political and partisan constraints.

After 16 years, the importance of modernizing the Forest Code was understood. Despite differences of opinion on the merits between the Executive and Congress, the government's support allowed for the creation of a code in which everyone made concessions, legal certainty was restored, and the country benefited.

The debate has returned to its proper forum, which is Parliament, and we have ended the era of NGO hegemony, led by former minister Marina Silva. Democracy, at last, has been established on environmental issues.

The vote on the Ports Provisional Measure was another step forward, resulting from the partnership between the government and Congress. This joint effort put an end to the inexplicable, decade-long barrier to private investment in the port sector.

Another successful action by both branches of government was the creation of the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension, replacing Emater, which was dissolved in 1990. Anater will allow rural producers in classes "D" and "E" to access and incorporate technological innovations already widely used by agribusiness. A large number of small producers, until now without prospects, will be able to reach the rural middle class, just as millions of Brazilians from the cities have done.

Increasing the country's storage capacity has entered the government's agenda, and we expect the issue to be resolved within the next two years, with long-term resources and very reasonable interest rates. Today, our capacity meets about 75% of production, and ideally we should reach 120%, as is the case in the United States.

Regarding infrastructure—highways, railways, and waterways—we now see a light at the end of the tunnel, as we have projects being concessioned, despite some setbacks along the way.

Agricultural insurance is no longer seen as a benefit to the producer but has come to be treated as the public policy it is, since it guarantees national production. For the current harvest, R$ 700 million has been allocated – 75% more than a year ago – and the goal is to reach R$ 2 billion in 2015.

And what to expect from 2014? It's high time to put an end to Funai's irresponsible policies. The entry into force of decree nº 303 will mean a necessary correction to this land tenure disorder.

We also need to be proactive in conquering new markets. The countries with which we have agreements represent only 10% of world trade.

The government's lack of a more aggressive policy and the protectionism of a few sectors of the economy have undermined negotiations and are responsible for Brazil's imminent isolation. Fortunately, it seems that ideas are changing.

The protectionism demanded by these sectors cannot override the national interest. Everyone needs to pursue innovation and technology to compete in the global market.

In the lead-up to elections, many speak out on behalf of Brazilian producers. But the agricultural sector has matured, knows what it wants, what it needs, and the progress it has made.

We can't waste the moment when the beast has turned beautiful. Pragmatism and chicken soup never hurt anyone.