São Paulo - The adjectives are many and voiced loudly all around: Brazil is the world's warehouse; it is the world's source of food. Up to a little while ago, these words were just said, not taken seriously. Now, however, a scenery with ballast, anchored to solid bases, is being drawn for Brazilian agribusiness. The picture has the support of institutions like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the World Bank and the United Nations (UN) itself. And the forecasts of these organizations show that the old idea of country of the future may, in fact, expand out of just the lyrics of songs and may reach the economy through the hands, arms and serious work of agriculture, livestock farming and agro-industry in Brazil. The year of glory may be 2017.

One of the reasons for the irrefutable Brazilian future leadership in the sector is that the country has favourable conditions for agricultural production. Brazil has natural resources that make it possible to expand production, accompanying consumer market growth tendencies, without knocking down any trees. There are currently 388 million hectares of high-productivity fertile farmland - of which 90 million is still untouched. This factor alone already makes Brazil a country with a natural aptitude for agriculture and all the business related to its productive chains.

Brazil is already the main world exporter of ethanol, sugar, meats, cattle beef alone, coffee, orange juice and the soy complex (chaff, grain and oil). The country is also the second main exporter of soy grain, the second of chicken and the fourth of pork. In less than three decades Brazil has grown from an importer to the fifth main exporter of cotton. The country is also the fifth main exporter of maize and is among the 20 main exporters of rice. In terms of production, the country is the main world producer of cattle beef, the third in terms of poultry and the fourth in terms of pork. Brazil is also the main producer of sugar, coffee, orange juice, the second main producer of soy (grain), and the fourth main producer of chaff and oil.