Something caught my eye recently; Andre Esteves, the founder of Brazil’s BTG Pactual, known as the ‘Goldman Sachs of the Tropics’, is betting big on Brazil’s explosive growth becoming a leading exporter of agricultural produce. He is particularly excited about trade routes from Latin America to Asia and Africa. As the name of this column would suggest, I’ve had a longstanding interest in the world of food, both personal as well as professional. For many of us, the food we eat is essential to our culture and our connections with friends and family. But a growing global population begs the question of how we can feed the ever-increasing number of mouths our planet must sustain.
Esteves believes that within 20 years, Brazil will supply a whopping 80 percent of the world’s food. For many years, Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has been known as the ‘lungs of the world’. It seems, if Esteves is right, the country may soon become the ‘stomach of the world’ too.
Fast-growing populations who will need to be fed are overwhelmingly a feature of the Global South, across Asia and Africa in particular. This demographic megatrend is likely to lead to further development of Global South to Global South supply chains and export routes. Trade between countries of the Global South has been steadily increasing in recent years, which is good for economic growth, employment, and ultimately living standards.
But as Esteves’ vision becomes reality, transporting quantities of agricultural produce will become a major biosecurity challenge. From harvest, in transit, and upon arrival at their ultimate destination – crops will need robust protection from pests. The globally important local ecosystem in Brazil is radically different to the complex and unique biotopes of Asia and Africa. The massive increase in agricultural trade along these routes geometrically increases the risk of invasive pests escaping. This can rapidly become a significant threat to local biodiversity.
This of course, makes phytosanitary treatments, including fumigation, an even more important part of the supply chain than they already are. Legacy solutions need to be re-examined for efficacy and suitability in very different climatic conditions and against new types of pests. Current usage is too often based on poor data and haphazard application of a variety of generic treatments, leading to compromised actual impact. Accretive effects of any pollution may also need to be looked at with larger amounts in mind, along with the carbon footprint of various treatments, amid increasing reporting of transport emissions.
It’s clear that some Global South governments have already caught on. South Africa is a prime example. Just last month, they approved a new, environmentally sustainable fumigant for the treatment of timber imports, having already registered another alternative product for use in the milling and grain supply chain last year. The approvals are accompanied by clear and relevant application instructions fully backed up by accurate research data.
South Africa is making big moves to enhance their biosecurity without compromising the planet. Other countries of the South, particularly the world’s biggest importers and exporters of foodstuffs, grain, and other essential commodities may need to take note!
