On Wednesday, I went to the Rose Cafe hosted by Andre Simores, an agricultural economist and professor from Brazil.  He began his talk by providing a primarily geographical overview of Brazil, telling us some interesting facts, such as Brazil being the fifth largest country by population.  Simores then discussed the current political climate in Brazil, along with agricultural questions surrounding his research.  

Brazil is diverse in many ways, geographically in particular.  There’s Mato Grosso, with its wetlands, the Amazon rainforest, and Caatinga, an arid area.  Brazil is also economically diverse, with an economy based not only on agriculture, but also aerospace engineering, among others.  For example, Embraer, which is based in Brazil, is the world’s third largest airplane manufacturer, specializing in smaller jets.  

Unfortunately, Brazil has a high degree of inequality, with its northeast part being the poorest.  Yet, Simores would describe Brazil not as a developing country, but rather a country in transition.  After twenty years of a military dictatorship, Brazil has implemented democratic reforms.  Yet, this transition is not without its challenges.  The past two presidents have been impeached for scandals involving corruption and money laundering.  Although power has transitioned peacefully between presidents, Brazil faces mounting obstacles, including high debt and a struggling economy.  In addition to economic struggles, Brazil’s education system favors the rich who can afford private school before heading to the public universities.  

Simores finished his talk by emphasizing how stability is critical to maintaining quality of life everywhere, not just Brazil.  Agriculture faces a volatile market and spot pricing.  I learned that the U.S., for example, will buy excess milk to keep prices stable.  The surplus milk is turned into powdered milk or cheese, and often is served in public schools.  Simores is studying the relationship between dairy farms and processors.  

Overall, this talk gave me a better perspective of the world, and I learned a great deal about life in Brazil.  I was surprised to hear that lunch is the main daily meal, not dinner like in the U.S.  I look forward to future Rose Cafes to keep furthering my perspective and understanding of the world.