The Brazilian foreign minister attacked the EU over “trade security” and “myopia” after the union sought to ban agricultural trade from deforested areas, with the exception of France for criticism especially on farm services.
Brussels made the law this month which would force companies selling beef, soybeans, palm oil, coffee, cocoa and wood in the bloc to ensure that the items were not made on the cut or destroyed ground after 2020.
Brazil is a major exporter of much of what is expected and EU activity has sparked long-running tensions with the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, which sees other reasons for the bloc’s demands.
“What I would not accept is to use the environment as a way to protect trade. It is bad for consumers [and] trade is moving, “Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco França told the Financial Times in an interview.” I think there is some myopia from the EU. “
The law was published shortly after the new satellite information showing the destruction of Brazil’s Amazon rose to 15 years, prompting new questions about the government’s commitment to protect the world’s largest forest.
More than 13,200 sq km of land cracked in the 12 months to July – more than seven times the size of Greater London – represents a 22 percent jump from last year, according to data from the Brazil National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). This was the fastest-growing deforestation in the Amazon in Brazil since 2006.
The figures are highlighted by Brazil’s achievements in the COP26 climate change conference this month in Glasgow, including the promise to end deforestation by 2028 and the 2050 main goal. [deforestation] the numbers are amazing. Brazil has a serious problem, ”said a senior Western diplomat in Brasília.
França described the recent deforestation as “strange”, but said the figures “were not as bad as they seem” because they have changed since July. Inpe data for August, September and October this year shows a 28 percent reduction in forest fires.
“There is no desire in Brazil to hide the problem,” the minister added. “Deforestation is often linked to other crimes, such as labor violations, tax evasion and money laundering. We see it as a police matter and this is giving results. ”
Brazil prides itself on high-yielding and highly profitable agriculture and government officials often emphasize that most of the country’s farms come from well-maintained areas in the center and south of the country, rather than illegally deforested forests in the Amazon.
França criticized the French government for supporting their agricultural sector. “I understand the political reasons why the French government provides support for their farmers. It is not the environmental accuracy they provide [agricultural] help. Because soil and water are scarce and misuse is unstable.
“It is better to plant here in Brazil where agriculture is more technologically advanced than to plant in France.”
Conflicts between Brazil and its European allies have led to the disruption of a 20-year trade agreement reached between the EU and Mercosur, a bloc that also includes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Brussels does not want to go further in ratifying the treaty due to strong opposition from some countries who believe that Brazil in particular is not doing enough to tackle logging. França acknowledged that trade agreements “are not progressing”. A foreign ministry spokesman added: “We are not the party that is blocking the agreement, Brazil is ready to move forward.”
The youngest ambassador to the US, Bolivia and Paraguay, França had previously been the protocol officer at the Presidential Palace under Bolsonaro. He was appointed foreign minister in March, in place of Ernesto Araújo, a plain public speaker. Bolsonarista a group known for its lust for Donald Trump, anti-“globalism” and those accused of anti-China.
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