Brazilian Success Should be ‘Wake-up Call’ for U.S.

Planting in the state of Paraná, Brazil

Brazil’s success in turning its savannah Cerrado into fertile farmland with the help of U.S.-educated Brazilian scientists should be a wake-up call to the U.S., according to Dave Salmonsen, American Farm Bureau Federation trade specialist.

“I think we’ve been watching Brazil for the last several decades grow their agriculture, grow their presence on the world stage and bring new lands into production,” Salmonsen said. “They are putting more investment into their transportation system, which has been a weakness for them. They are starting to harness the Amazon.”

Salmonsen said congressional passage of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea are critical for the U.S. to compete in the world market. He said the Brazil story shows other nations will compete for foreign markets.

“We’ve already seen the European Union sign an agreement with South Korea ahead of us,” Salmonsen said. “Canada concluded their agreement with Colombia ahead of us and will have some preferential and earlier access to that market than we will have.”

 

Brazil’s success in turning its savannah Cerrado into fertile farmland with the help of U.S.-educated Brazilian scientists should be a wake-up call to the U.S., according to Dave Salmonsen, American Farm Bureau Federation trade specialist.

“I think we’ve been watching Brazil for the last several decades grow their agriculture, grow their presence on the world stage and bring new lands into production,” Salmonsen said. “They are putting more investment into their transportation system, which has been a weakness for them. They are starting to harness the Amazon.”

Salmonsen said congressional passage of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea are critical for the U.S. to compete in the world market. He said the Brazil story shows other nations will compete for foreign markets.

“We’ve already seen the European Union sign an agreement with South Korea ahead of us,” Salmonsen said. “Canada concluded their agreement with Colombia ahead of us and will have some preferential and earlier access to that market than we will have.”