President of LIDE: Goiás government is an example for Brazil.

Goiás 247 - The administration of Governor Marconi Perillo is an example for Brazil and for the federal government, stated businessman João Dória Jr., president of the Group of Business Leaders (LIDE), during the 3rd Brazilian Food Forum in Goiânia. "In these first 100 days of government, Marconi has set the tone for his new administration: dynamic, with fewer secretariats and efficient people," added João Dória, to an audience of businesspeople and politicians at the Mercure Hotel.

João Dória also highlighted the example of austerity and transparency of the Goiás government. "Here we get results," he said, citing one example from the new state administration, the vice-governor and Secretary of Economic Development, José Eliton. According to Dória, José Eliton is worth five, an example of sacrifice and dedication. "That's what governance is all about. The good ones know that," he observed.

In his brief participation at the opening, Governor Marconi Perillo thanked the president of LIDE for the recognition and expressed his delight at seeing the auditorium filled with businesspeople and representatives from the sector. "Next year, we will need to increase the number of seats," he said, thanking the LIDE Group for including Goiânia and Goiás in its list of events.

“It is an honor and a source of pride to be included in this set of specialized events, with crucial themes for Brazil and the world,” stated Marconi, adding that the event has government support at least until 2018. “I hope that (the forum) will be held for much longer, because Goiás will not stop, and its doors are open for this and other LIDE events,” said Marconi.

According to the governor, the forum represents the sector's commitment to the best practices in the country. He believes the event highlights the sector's importance to the GDP of Goiás and Brazil. "A strong, vigorous sector that decisively contributes to the development of Goiás and Brazil."

Other representatives from the sector and LIDE gave brief presentations, in which they showed the importance of the food sector to the local and national economy. The president of the Brazilian Association of Food Industries (Abia), Edmundo Klotz, cited the importance of producing high-quality food sustainably.

Former Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and president of LIDE International, Luiz Fernando Furlan, in turn, lamented the current crisis facing the Brazilian economy. "It's doing badly on average and even worse in the media," he joked, using a pun. But he guaranteed the sector's support for the economic recovery. "We cannot be spectators. We need to invest and generate jobs, to take Brazil abroad," he warned.

LIDE representative in Goiás, André Luiz Rocha, highlighted the eightfold increase in Goiás' GDP over the last 15 years, and the government's decisive support for the sector, with which it has always maintained an open dialogue.

Former Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, recalled the points addressed at the event, highlighting technology, which, according to him, is responsible for the "extraordinary leap" in Brazilian agribusiness. He also cited the importance of adding value to products, noting that Brazil wants to export more and more processed products with added value, and not just commodities.