Mapa mission to France boosts sustainability, innovation, and expands markets for Brazilian agribusiness

From October 18 to 21, a delegation from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) visited Paris, France, to participate in strategic engagements aimed at strengthening Brazilian agribusiness on the international stage. Led by Secretary of Trade and International Relations Luis Rua, the mission also included Marcel Moreira, Director of Trade and Investment Promotion, and Helena Queiroz, Agricultural Attaché at the Brazilian Embassy in Paris. 

On October 18, the delegation met with Ambassador Sarquis José Buainain Sarquis, Head of the Brazilian Delegation to International Economic Organizations in Paris. They discussed Brazil's involvement in global institutions such as the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Codex Alimentarius Committee on General Principles (CCGP). 

Secretary Rua stressed the importance of integrating Brazil's sustainable agricultural practices into these organizations' frameworks and emphasized the need to evaluate agro-environmental performance indicators from a tropical perspective. 

Ambassador Sarquis highlighted the critical role of the agricultural attaché in Paris in securing key achievements for Brazil, noting the recent update to the nitrogen balance calculation, which now includes the contributions of biological nitrogen fixation. 

On October 19 and 20, the delegation participated in SIAL Paris, one of the world’s largest food and beverage fairs, where ApexBrasil organized eight Brazilian pavilions featuring around 200 companies. At the opening ceremony, Rua highlighted the strategic collaboration between Mapa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ApexBrasil, and the private sector to expand the global presence of Brazilian agricultural products. 

With an expected business turnover of USD 2.5 billion, Rua visited the Brazilian pavilions, engaging with exhibitors to discuss Mapa’s initiatives and better understand the needs of Brazilian producers and exporters from the various production chains represented at the event. 

To conclude the mission, the delegation met with Marion Jansen, Director of Trade and Agriculture at the OECD. They discussed adapting OECD indicators to tropical agriculture and the need for more flexible metrics to reflect different farming systems. Other topics included the environmental impacts of agricultural subsidies. 

"This mission in Paris reinforced our commitment to expanding Brazilian agribusiness's participation in key international forums and events, aligning our agro-environmental policies with global standards. Our discussions at SIAL Paris were invaluable in consolidating our leadership in international trade and unlocking new markets, with a focus on sustainability and innovation," said Luis Rua, Secretary of Trade and International Relations at Mapa. 


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