In Washington D.C., Senator Katia Abreu, Representing the Brazilian Farm Sector, Defended a National Seal of Quality for the National Production

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Senator Katia Abreu, president of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), presented in Washington D.C. a project to implement a seal of quality for the national agricultural production, in an effort to better explain and reassure the international community about the high safety standards of Brazilian exports. The seal of quality, a project that has been being developed for the past three years, will be discussed with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a meeting with Senator Abreu this month.

In order to attest to the quality of the products, the seal will encompass three components: sanitation standards, environmental sustainability, and the conformity to legislation regarding workers' conditions. The idea is to use the highest technical standards and tests to put to rest old myths about the safety of Brazilian food and livestock abroad.

Abreu discussed the seal with diplomats and the Ambassador of Brazil in the U.S., Mauro Vieira, while showing the firm intentions of CNA in partnering with national representatives abroad to promote the Brazilian agribusiness sector. Besides receiving the support of the Brazilian Embassy, she also engaged in preliminary talks with a representative of the Inter-American Development Bank about partnering with the institution to invest in the Brazilian farming sector.

The senator will also discuss with President Rousseff projects for the improvement of the sector's infrastructure, especially in regards to transporting the production, emphasizing the need to develop more ports and invest in waterways. "Brazil only uses waterways to transport 8% of our total cargo, while in the U.S. the number reaches 25%. That is disastrous for us in terms of competitiveness of exports."

Legal standards, regulation, logistics and improvements to the taxation system are other important points that the senator plans to raise during her meeting with President Rousseff.

Meanwhile, another important point of discussion with diplomats was the achievement of a 150% increase in Brazilian production per acre in 35 years, solely due to technological advancement, which allowed for the preservation of native forests. "Brazil preserves 61% of our native forests and is the only country in the world that refuses in such a degree to use deforestation to increase access to farmable land," said Senator Abreu. "At least half of those 61% are perfectly farmable, but we do not touch it."

Senator Abreu mentioned the refusal of the international community to reward Brazil financially for its natural stocks of CO2 (in the form of preserved native forests). "We deserve and need to be paid for that." She also showed that Brazil will meet in two years – long before the 2020 deadline – goals for deforestation reduction at the Amazon (80% less than the total in 2004).

CONTACT: Pedro Costa, +1-253-218-9542, [email protected]

SOURCE CNA - Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock