São Paulo – Michel Alaby, the CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, moderated the closing panel of the 4th Brazil Africa Forum, held last Thursday and Friday (4) in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná. The meeting was themed “Strategies for the Development of Agriculture in Brazil and Africa.”
The final panel, “Efficient logistics: Alternatives for Agricultural Development,” featured ambassador Tete Antonio, the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations; Luiz Roberto Barcelos, president of the Brazilian Fruit Growers and Exporters Association (Abrafrutas); Nelson Costa, a superintendent at the Federation and Organization of the Cooperatives of the State of Paraná (Fecoopar); and António Limbau, coordinator of ProSavana, a program of the Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to Alaby, the speakers addressed major issues facing Brazil and Africa when it comes to agriculture, as well as investment in human resources, productivity, infrastructure, legal uncertainty, etc.
“And I went over my own theory, that by 2050 the world will turn to the three ‘As’: the Americas, with technology and food production; Africa, with food supplies; and Asia, as a consumer market,” said Alaby. In that scenario, Europe loses its prominence in agriculture, and North America retains its relevance, but only as a technology hub.
The executive also mentioned that Arab countries imported USD 96 billion worth of food products in 2015. “This is a good time to sell more food or to try and seek agricultural investment in those countries,” he asserted. Alaby remarked that Gulf countries are already investing in agriculture and livestock in African nations.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
