U.S.-Brazil Joint Statement on Climate Change, Food Security and New Technologies

The United States Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil today issued the following joint statement:

The United States and Brazil are very cognizant of the fact that global food production must increase by 70 percent over the next 25 years to feed an estimated population of 9 billion people by 2050. As the world’s largest food producers, Brazil and the United States are partners in this task. We are committed to working together to increase efficiency through new technologies to meet the ever growing demand for safe and sustainable food. To achieve this goal, we are calling attention to the following critical issues for every country to consider: 

Climate change: Brazil and the United States have faced record drought and other climate and production problems over the last few years. We encourage all countries to share information and research on practices and technologies that substantially increase production, use water efficiently, reduce food loss, build resilience to extreme climate events, and adapt to climate changes so that we can meet the increasing demand for food.

Food security: We recognize that many countries still face serious food security issues. We note that increased opportunity and least restrictive trade measures are two of the most effective ways to improve food security, particularly for less developed countries. Brazil and the United States also recognize the importance of collecting and sharing more detailed data on food, agricultural production, and markets; combating the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity, and leveraging technology to improve global food security. 

New Technologies: Food producers must have access to the newest and most appropriate agricultural technologies, including improvement of conventional reproduction, biotechnology, and other innovative technologies. We encourage all countries to evaluate new technologies in a transparent, science-based manner and to apply least restrictive trade measures. Failure to do so will lead to market distortions and lost opportunities to improve productivity, which would in turn have a negative impact on the environment, agricultural production, and food safety.