Two weeks ago Andre Rozemberg Prixoto Simores, an agricultural economist from Brazil, spoke to the Rose Scholars about the beautiful country of Brazil. He focuses on the crops that are grown in the country and the fertility of the soil in order to benefit the fruits that are produced each season. During his lecture, he spoke about the various states within the country of Brazil, the one’s that are popular as well as the one’s that contain more naturistic landscapes that are less inhabited. As expected, Mr. Simores spoke about the love of soccer that is embedded in Brazil’s culture; I can not deny Brazil’s team being one of the best soccer team’s in the world every year. Personally, I try to not cheer for Brazil’s team during the World Cup, which happens every four years, simply because they always make it to the semi-finals. I like rooting for the underdogs.

Brazil is a country filled with so much beauty and history that tourists can really gain many life lessons and experiences by visiting. A part of Brazil that has always touched my heart are the favelas that continue to be a large part of Brazil’s impoverished society. As Mr. Simores explained, though Brazil is rich in agriculture and tourism, an important part of the country is the corrupt government that rules as well as the huge gap between the very rich and the extremely poor. The favelas are made up of houses built practically on top of each other, with children wearing barely any clothes and the families have very limited access to water. Additionally, the Amazon Rainforest, that remains home to many indigenous tribes, contains poverty as well, though tourism in these areas keeps these families alive.

I personally would love to visit Brazil some day. As a child of two Peruvian parents, Bazil is a neighboring country that contains such rich flora and fauna with historical landmarks that it has always been a dream for my family to travel there. More importantly, as a lover of dance, attending Carnival to enjoy the people, the food, and all the festivities is something I plan on crossing off my bucket list some day. It was wonderful having Mr. Simones and his wife here to speak with us. It is also inspiring to know that he is staying at Cornell, gaining knowledge to bring back to his home country so as to make it a better place.