Lula needs to get out of polarization, says ruralist sociologist – 05/15/2023 – Politics

The Brazilian rural producer needs legal security in the field, he will not accept land invasions and, to resolve the impasse between agribusiness and the Lula (PT) government, dialogue is needed, which must start with the president.

These statements are made by rancher and sociologist Teresa Vendramini, former president of the centenary SRB (Brazilian Rural Society) —she was the first woman in office.

She is part of the Sustainable Economic and Social Development Council, the council recreated by Lula, alongside other names in agriculture such as Rubens Ometto (Cosan), Sérgio Bortolozzo (president of SRB), Eraí Maggi Scheffer (Bom Futuro) and Márcio Lopes de Freitas (president of OCB).

“Any land invasion is unacceptable,” she said.

Teresa, who is part of the third generation of a family with more than 80 years dedicated to agriculture in São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, defends in an interview with Sheet investments in the training of small producers, who represent the majority of Brazilian farmers, land regularization and for the government to look into the indigenous issue.

“May we walk in an equation with balance and social justice on all sides”, he said.

Mrs. she is one of the agro representatives on President Lula’s council, which has been experiencing an imbroglio with the sector. How have you seen this relationship between the government and agribusiness? I had this opportunity to be on the council and, as I always believe in dialogue, it was obvious that I wanted to be there. My concern was to pass on our challenges to the President of the Republic, the Vice President and virtually all ministers. I spoke about our number one agenda for Brazilian agribusiness, which is our biggest concern, legal security and the right to private property and free enterprise.

The polarization [política] it’s hampering some other challenges that we have to discuss. One is already being talked about a lot and somehow moving forward within this new government, which is the indigenous issue. Another very important agenda is land regularization, which continues with land regularization, and environmental regulation as well, these are the great challenges of agribusiness. We have many others, such as the need for connectivity in Brazil, infrastructure and logistics. In the North of Brazil, there are some roads that carry 2,500 trucks, and those roads are difficult. We are making progress, but there is still a lot to be done in a Brazil that will produce 313 million tons of grain.

Challenges the agro has a lot. When I talk about the indigenous issue, I said that we walk in an equation with balance and social justice on both sides, on the indigenous side and on the side of small rural producers, many bought land 50 years ago legitimately and need social justice. Political polarization is preventing the evolution of some agendas, such as the indigenous issue. May mutual respect prevail, may divergent agendas evolve.

Agribusiness proved to be mostly Bolsonarist, not only in the election but in recent statements and attitudes. Why does this relationship have the dimension that we have seen? Many people outside the agro ask me why the agro is so Bolsonarist. It has a lot to do with the guidelines of the agro. In the past elections, several candidates, not just for the Presidency, asked me about this proximity, and I have an answer that is so simple, which is that the Bolsonaro government brought this legal security to agribusiness.

This rural producer link is the number one agenda. Along with legal certainty, I am already amending with the right to private property and free enterprise. These are the first three sentences when I try to talk about the Brazilian rural producer. I have no doubt, the relationship between agro and the Bolsonaro government was that. He was together, in his government there was no threat in relation to that [invasões].

And then we entered the other government, which already had a very big concern in relation to the movement of the landless and unfortunately we already had some invasions and threats of invasion. So that’s the relationship. The main difficulty I see in Lula’s relationship with agro is this.

The MST has historically been closely linked to President Lula. Mrs. Do you see any possibility for the government to act against the MST to provide the security that the sector is asking for? The main agenda today in agribusiness with President Lula, with President Lula’s government, is the MST. There was a message, very difficult for agribusiness, which was the fact that the president took the [João Pedro] Stedile [líder do MST] in the entourage to China. This caused a lot of difficulty, it’s a fact that brought a lot of inconvenience, it made a lot of noise within agribusiness.

Of course, I want the government to move forward on this issue, giving us legal security. The MST is straining relations with agribusiness and with Brazil and for me any land invasion is inadmissible. There is no possible justification. I have already spoken to President Lula in two situations, and he listens, he pays attention.

This government tension with agro had the recent crisis involving Minister Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture) and Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto, and, when it seemed that the situation calmed down, Lula criticized what he called the fascists of agro. How to pacify both sides? Agrishow generated more than R$ 13 billion in purchase intentions and received almost 200 thousand people, small, medium and large producers. Agrishow shows the future of agribusiness. Agricultural machine, irrigation and storage is the future of agro, it is where we have some bottlenecks and we are moving forward. My assessment, honestly, looking at all these numbers, is that it was bad for all sides. I have no doubt that it was bad for Agrishow and bad for the government. Lost in understanding, in opportunity to be together.

And is it up to whom to take the first step and extend a hand? This is where political polarization comes into play, this radicalization that I see, on both sides, very strong, and I believe that President Lula, who spoke of a unity government, should, Brazil hopes that he gets out of polarization and he thinks that somehow he has to pacify. We are in need of that leadership.

Is it possible for the country to advance in agrarian reform amidst this scenario of criticism by the sector of the government? I talk a lot about land regularization. The last government delivered more than 400,000 titles. I’m super in favor of it, because I’ve been to the settlements, I’ve talked to them, I’ve seen them, it’s not that I’ve read them. And there are many people there who have been waiting for 50 years.

Although the sector’s numbers are superlative, Brazil is marked by having a majority of small producers. How to prepare them better? We have just over 5 million rural establishments in the country. Of this total, 20% are those who are participating in this booming agro, only 20%, who use technology, have a global view of the business, understand problems caused by the pandemic and war in Ukraine, for example. They invest in digital agriculture, drones and they were at Agrishow buying those machines.

The other 80% small and medium producers need training. It’s a huge country, they have many difficulties, they need credit, that land regularization continues, so that they have title security in hand to access credit, to keep walking. When these small producers are close to cooperatives, they can walk a long way. There is still a Brazil to do.

How do you see the future of agribusiness in the country? To speak of the future is to speak, this year, of more than 313 million tons of grains, which is an agribusiness that already strongly participates in the trade balance, generates jobs, quality of life in places where there is booming agriculture. It is more technology, agriculture and livestock very concerned with generating less environmental impact. He already realized that. Last year there were losses in soy, corn, in the South, and the producer is managing to overcome. The small ones are the big challenge for the sector in the future.

Mrs. she was the first woman president of the SRB and now, in the council, she is also, among the members of the agro, an almost lone female voice. Is the path too long to change the frame? In the voting and speaking places [nas entidades], I see that we are very few. In agro, then, as a leader I see Tereza Cristina [ex-ministra, PP-MS] and now, without modesty, I see my role here. What I try to do is increasingly organize myself mentally, you have to have great resilience, believe […] I have no doubt that we have double work to be in places and I have no doubt that I am much more demanded than others. And something else, much more judged. I learned not to regret. One thing that surprises me is the machismo of women. When we give each other the opportunity, when we support each other, we will walk much further.

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TERESA VENDRAMINI
A rural producer in SP and MS, she is a sociologist graduated from the São Paulo School of Sociology and Politics Foundation. Former president of the SRB (Brazilian Rural Society), she is a member of the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development of the Presidency of the Republic, in addition to participating on the boards of eight associations, including Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks).