Brazil expands agricultural cooperation with African countries

The Second Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Fight Against Hunger and Rural Development, held in Brasilia/Brazil from the 20th-22nd May 2025, underscored the priority of Brazilian foreign policy to strengthen relations with African countries. Following the first edition, held in 2010, the Dialogue fosters the exchange of knowledge and best practices in order to deepen Brazil’s cooperation with Africa and to strengthen local food production in African countries. The event was created by the G20’s Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

More than 40 delegations from African countries, as well as representatives of international organisations, multilateral development banks, research institutions, family-farming organisations and cooperatives, and private-sector entities, met at the conference.

Participants shared experience in agricultural and aquaculture production, exchanged knowledge and technologies, and debated the role of effective public policies such as the Food Acquisition Programme (PAA) and the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE). 

Moreover they discussed research and innovation, valuing family farming and sustainability, identified new opportunities for technical cooperation and explored financing and investment alternatives.

South-South cooperation is an effective way to transform rural areas

Gerardine Mukeshimana, Vice President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), emphasised that sharing practical, locally adapted, and sustainable solutions among countries with similar contexts, or South-South cooperation, was one of the most effective ways to transform rural areas and empower rural communities. It also presented an opportunity for multilateral development institutions to evolve and scale up solutions, Mukeshimana pointed out.

“Across Brazil and Africa, smallholder farmers are already innovating by improving their soils, adopting resilient crops, forming cooperatives, and building inclusive markets, but they cannot do it alone; their success hinges on collaborative support and resources,” said Mukeshimana at the event. The Fund also stressed the need to place family farming at the heart of rural development finance, aiming to achieve thriving farms and promote prosperity in the Global South.

Mukeshimana also said that “multilateral development banks must shift from being just funders to system builders, working alongside governments, public development banks, the private sector and rural communities to build an ecosystem of scalable investment opportunities.”

As recently as March of this year, IFAD pointed out the important role that public development banks (PDBs) can play in transforming food systems (Rural 21 reported).

New markets to strengthen technical cooperation

During the closing ceremony, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) officially opened nine new markets across Africa, primarily in agricultural technology, embryo transfer, live animals and genetic material. 

Eight of the new markets are with Benin, covering the export of live cattle and buffalo, in vivo and in vitro bovine and buffalo embryos, bovine and buffalo semen, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, swine semen, Brachiaria grass seeds (Brachiaria spp.), and apples. Another market was opened with Senegal for the export of bovine and buffalo embryos. 

According to Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Carlos Fávaro, this initiative marks the revival of a cooperation policy first launched during previous administrations of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now renewed with greater strength.

In addition to opening new markets, Brazil signed Memorandums of Understanding with Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen technical cooperation, improve agricultural and livestock systems, and support initiatives focused on food security and rural development. 

Ines Lechner, editor Rural 21