The recently sworn in Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, took over the portfolio today (2) with a conciliation speech with agribusiness, but calling on sector leaders to engage in fighting hunger and protecting the environment. “How many Brazilians couldn’t have lunch today? This is the great challenge of this new government”, said Fávaro at the beginning of the handover ceremony, even before greeting those present. He said that the moment is for unity in favor of this goal, “regardless of what happened”. Fávaro also said that one of his greatest missions is to “pacify agribusiness” with leaders who want the good of agriculture, rural producers, the population and who want to fight hunger. According to the new minister, there are still Brazilians who struggle to have three meals a day. Fávaro’s speech makes a nod to the agribusiness leaders who opposed the candidacy of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to support his opponent, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was unable to be re-elected. The new minister is a soybean producer and was formerly vice-president of the Association of Soy Producers in Brazil. Still in a conciliatory tone, Fávaro praised the actions of all his predecessors since 2002, including the ministers who occupied the portfolio in the Bolsonaro government – Tereza Cristina and Marcos Montes –, citing both by name. However, he did not spare criticism of other areas of the previous administration, such as the preservation of the environment and the increase in deforestation observed in recent years. “Brazil has become a world pariah in terms of deforestation, the environment, the condition of producing sustainably. This is the biggest challenge, rebuilding bridges with the international community. Not because they want to, but because it is necessary”, said Fávaro. The minister added that one of his measures in this regard will be the enhancement of science and the recovery of degraded pastures, which according to data cited by him would correspond to around 40 million hectares. With that, it would be possible to increase the area of cultivation without increasing deforestation, he said. “This will not be a rhetoric or a simple speech. We are going to open the door to the sustainable growth of Brazilian production”, said Fávaro before ending his speech, which took place in the auditorium of Embrapa, a public research company in the agricultural area that the new government promises to strengthen. Several parliamentarians linked to rural production and other authorities were present at the ceremony, such as the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, and Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), who is from Mato Grosso, the same state where Fávaro made his career politics and for which he was elected senator, despite being born in Paraná. The previous Minister of Agriculture, Marcos Montes, did not attend the ceremony of transfer of office, having been represented by the former executive secretary of the portfolio, Márcio Eli Almeida.
Agência Brasil
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