BRASILIA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Brazil and China have built a relationship marked by trust, and share a long association in agribusiness, as well as similar challenges, such as improving rural life while promoting sustainable agriculture, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina said on Thursday.
The two countries maintain "a relationship of trust in unfailing delivery, with quality, safety and sustainability," Cristina said during a videoconference as part of the opening of the Brazil-China Dialogue on Sustainable Agriculture, organized by the Brazil-China Business Council and China's Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS).
Brazil sees the potential to expand and diversify its exports to the Chinese market, and "we are fully aware that consumers in China, like those in Brazil, are increasingly concerned about sustainability issues," said Cristina.
Today, Brazil supplies more than one billion people in 180 markets with agricultural products, meaning that "out of every four dishes of food served in the world, one has ingredients originating from Brazil," according to the minister.
Since the 1970s, Brazil's cereal production has increased by about 400 percent, while its cropland has grown by 40 percent.
But climate change, which directly affects farmers, threatens "harmful impacts on food security and the preservation of biodiversity," so it is essential to prioritize the reduction of global greenhouse gases, especially from fossil fuels, said Cristina.
"Sustainability has three inseparable pillars: environmental, economic and social. With our increases in productivity, we can bring cheap food to the world," she said.
"Brazil, like China, faces the challenge of improving the lives of those who live in the countryside, providing them with conditions similar to those of the urban population. China has worked hard to combat extreme poverty in the countryside in recent years, achieving a great success," noted Cristina. Enditem
