Jorge Viana emphasizes environmental problems before the Chinese

The president of Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), Jorge Viana, highlighted Brazilian environmental problems before an audience that included businessmen and members of the Chinese government this Monday (27.Mar.2023).

“We Brazilians should stop saying outside Brazil that the country has no environmental problems. We have, for a long time.” he said at a seminar held in Beijing, capital of China. O Poder360 accompanied the debates.

Viana stated that 84 million hectares were deforested in the Brazilian Amazon over the last 50 years. Of these, 67 million were allocated to livestock and another 6 million to grain agriculture. The minister said that the data comes from studies by the Ministry of Agriculture, Imazon and MapBiomas.

Viana’s speech contrasted with others, made at the same event by leaders of Brazilian companies that emphasized sustainable practices. Among them were the CEO of JBS, Gilberto Xandó, the director for Asia and president for China at Suzano, Pablo Gimenez Machado, and the vice president of Vale, Alexandre D’Ambrosio.

Among the Chinese participants were the director of China Forestry Seed Group, Zhang Guofu, the chairman of the board of directors of Shanxi Changrong Agricultural Technology, and the commercial manager of Cargill, Qual Taiyong.

The president of Apex-Brasil said that part of the producers already adopt sustainable practices, such as new management possibilities and genetic improvement of cattle. According to him, if the practices were adopted by all producers, the need for land for livestock would fall to 32 million hectares.

Viana said that solutions to this problem can help convince interlocutors to have confidence in the country. “In the same way that I recognize that the previous government encouraged the invasion of indigenous areas and occupation through deforestation, the productive sector and society have done a lot to face deforestation.”