By LUIS FELIPE MIGUEL*
The success of Brazilian agriculture begins with the strange disappearance of the word “latifundio” from our vocabulary
Brazilian agribusiness is truly a huge success – in terms of marketing. It created the slogan “agriculture is pop” and made everyone believe that it is the driving force behind the Brazilian economy. In fact, it only accounts for 7% of Brazil’s GDP and inflates its share by including all the inputs, equipment, etc. it uses.
The return to the country in terms of taxes is negligible, since its main market is abroad and its exports are exempt from taxation. Smallholders, family farmers, produce 70% of the food we eat.
Between mechanization, on the one hand, and the overexploitation of labor, including conditions analogous to slavery, on the other, very few decent jobs are generated.
In the media, it is rigor saying that Brazilian agribusiness is a great partner in environmental conservation, no matter that all the evidence shows the opposite.
In fact, the success of Brazilian agriculture begins with the strange disappearance of the word “latifundio” from our vocabulary. It seems that latifundio is over. But the fact is that 15.686 rural properties, 0,3% of the total, account for 25% of the country’s land.
The money saved in taxes is spent by the agricultural sector on financing campaigns and buying politicians. Its presence in Congress is unbeatable. The “Parliamentary Front for Agriculture”, that is, the ruralist group, has almost two-thirds of the federal deputies and more than 60% of the senators.
How can a tiny fraction of the population have so much parliamentary power? The answer is simple. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "di" and ends with "nheiro".
Hence the tax exemption for meat was approved by 477 votes in favor and only three against, despite the obvious environmental impact of the measure. Hence Brazil is the world champion in poisoning food. There is even a bizarre project that takes away from Anvisa and passes to Congress the power to authorize the use of certain classes of pesticides.
Meanwhile, Contag, which represents 15 million rural workers (small landowners and agricultural workers), celebrated that in 2022 it managed to elect five federal deputies and one senator, with another 11 parliamentarians considered allies…
This disparity in representation is one of the (many) pieces of evidence that capitalism mutilates democracy.
Because the “agricultural people” are not satisfied, even with all the power they have. They want zero resistance. A government that talks about workers’ rights or that combats slave labor is bad enough.
Good is dictatorship. That is why, according to reports, it was the “agricultural people” who sent money to General Braga Netto to put into practice the plan to kill Lula, Alckmin and Moraes.
We want to know the names of those who financed the political assassination. And what will happen to them.
Arrest and expropriation of their companies is the least they can do.
* Luis Felipe Miguel He is a professor at the Institute of Political Science at UnB. Author, among other books, of Democracy in the capitalist periphery: impasses in Brazil (authentic). [https://amzn.to/45NRwS2].
Originally posted on the author's social media.
the earth is round there is thanks to our readers and supporters.
Help us keep this idea going.
CONTRIBUTE
