Brazilian Minister Carlos Fávaro denounces US protectionism and reinforces BRICS agricultural cooperation, prioritizing food sovereignty, technological innovation, and social justice in the Global South.

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BRICS countries will launch a joint initiative to combat land degradation.

US Protectionism as a Catalyst for BRICS Unity

Amid global trade tensions, the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members) solidifies its role as a counterweight to Washington’s unilateralism. Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro stated this Thursday that U.S. protectionist policies have accelerated the bloc’s integration, particularly in agriculture and food security matters.

Fávaro labeled U.S. tariff measures as an affront that reinforces the need to strengthen BRICS. Although tariffs were not the central focus of the ministerial meeting in Brasília, they permeated discussions on food sovereignty and South-South cooperation. This stance aligns with prior critiques from China, which has denounced Washington’s “economic harassment” and its impact on global supply chains.

With 30% of the world’s agricultural land and 50% of the global population, the BRICS bloc aims to lead a sustainable agricultural agenda. Fávaro highlighted that member countries host over half of the 550 million family farms worldwide, responsible for 80% of food production by value. The ministerial declaration signed in Brasília prioritizes technological innovation tailored to the Global South and sustainable resource management.

Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a strategic meeting with the Russian delegation at #BRICS to strengthen agricultural cooperation between the two nations.
Key discussions focused on the renewal of the bilateral MoU, easing… pic.twitter.com/qiQpK5FJsH

— Agriculture INDIA (@AgriGoI) April 17, 2025

Technical and Financial Cooperation Against Inequality

Ministers launched an initiative to restore degraded lands through sustainable agriculture and reforestation, backed by development banks and private capital. Additionally, they advanced plans for a Food Import Financing Mechanism, inspired by the FAO, to support developing countries. A BRICS Grain Exchange was proposed to facilitate intra-bloc trade under sustainability and equity criteria.

The final document recognizes the role of smallholders, Indigenous peoples, and local communities in food production and natural resource preservation. They committed to expanding access to machinery adapted to family farming and promoting rural cooperatives. Fávaro stressed that “innovation with equity” is key to combating hunger and poverty.

Brazil invited the bloc to actively participate in the COP30 in Belém (2025), where they will seek to integrate agriculture, climate, and sustainable development. Fávaro emphasized that the summit will be an opportunity for the Global South to advocate for productive models free from “neocolonial pressures”, a clear reference to U.S. and EU policies.

The BRICS ministerial meeting reflects an alternative food geopolitics, rooted in collective self-sufficiency and criticism of the extractivist model promoted by the West. With Brazil and China at the head, the bloc cements its role as an architect of a new multipolar economic order.

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