BRICS sign joint statement focused on food security

BRICS Meeting, held on Thursday (17) in Brasilia, approved a joint statement reinforcing the commitment to sustainable agricultural development, food security and the confrontation of inequalities in the field. The meeting brought together ministers and griculture area leaders of the 11 member countries.

In the evaluation of the Brazilian government, the approved document represents a milestone for global agriculture and brings clear guidelines to the period from 2025 to 2028, with food security, sustainability and facilitation of international agricultural trade.

According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the BRICS countries represent 54.5% of the world’s population, concentrate one third of agricultural lands and more than a third of the planet’s freshwater resources,

Together they account for 75% of global agricultural production and house about half of the 550 million existing family properties in the world – many of them conducted by small producers.

Also read: Climate changes affect food in 74% of Latin American and Caribbean countries

For Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, “these data not only reveal the productive and economic force of BRICS countries, as well as the decisive role they play in agriculture and world food security. Meetings like this are a privileged space for dialogue, cooperation and construction of joint solutions”.

“We all want to reach Brazil in terms of food production. Agriculture is a fundamental aspect, and discussing this theme in Brics is extremely valuable. Coming from such a marginal and poor continent, such as South Africa, where agriculture is not so developed, it is of great importance for us to participate in this process,” said South Africa ambassador, Vusi Mavimbie.

Compromises

Regarding the group’s main commitment, food security, participants recognized the importance of Lula’s initiative, the global alliance against hunger and poverty, as well as the essential role of agriculture to eradicate hunger and reduce social and regional inequalities.

Among the agreed actions are the strengthening of food regulatory stocks, investment in storage infrastructure and the stimulation of the adoption of public policy instruments such as support for minimum prices and monitoring production costs – focused on stabilizing access to essential foods. The measure seeks to face price volatility, pointed out as one of the main challenges to global food security.

In addition, the declaration also brings the commitment that in exceptional situations that affect some country country – such as lack of sudden food or increases in prices – cooperation between members can help in emergency responses based on solidarity between countries.

Another central point discussed at the meeting concerns family farming. “Family farming was not responsible for increasing temperature worldwide, because it is not responsible for emission of greenhouse gases. However, this is the sector that is suffering more from climate change, because family farming depends on climate,” said Fernanda Machiaveli, executive secretary of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture.

Therefore, he added, “these producers need to be included in the transition process, first so that they can adapt and second because they will make the mitigation hijacking carbon through increasingly sustainable practices.”

It is also worth mentioning, among the agreed points, the agreement with the fact that BRICS has the potential to play a strategic role in the sustainable and inclusive increase of global agricultural productivity by aligning their industrial capacities with the needs of small producers, both within the block and in other global south nations.

To advance this path, the document recommends the adoption of investment strategies that encourage partnerships between companies and universities in member countries, promoting local production of agricultural machinery and voluntary exchange of innovative technologies, adapted to regional realities.

Finally, the agreement deals with the facilitation of international agricultural trade, with the goal of reducing unnecessary barriers, promoting transparency and facilitating the exchange of agricultural products between member countries, as well as the use of digital certification that should reduce bureaucracy, mitigate risk of fraud, decrease the possibility of falsification and improve traceability.

With agencies