Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his first visit to the country, with the two meeting in Brasilia. During the meeting, Lula urged Kishida to consider buying Brazilian beef, emphasizing the quality and affordability of their product.
Brazil has been striving to open Japanese markets to its beef since 2005, and under Lula's leadership, the country has made significant progress in exporting beef to international markets. Currently, 70% of the beef consumed in Japan is imported, with the majority coming from the U.S. and Australia.
In 2023, Brazil exported over 2 million pounds of beef, maintaining its position as the world's largest beef exporter. The country has improved its cattle industry's sanitary conditions, particularly in areas free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination.
However, the cattle industry in Brazil has been linked to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado region. To address environmental concerns, Japan and Brazil agreed to collaborate on restoration initiatives for the Cerrado's degraded areas.
During their meeting, Kishida expressed Japan's support for environmental protection, climate change, and sustainable development efforts in Brazil. Japan recently contributed $3 million to Brazil's fund for protecting the Amazon rainforest.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation in cybersecurity, investment promotion, and other areas of mutual interest. Kishida highlighted the potential for bilateral cooperation to tackle global challenges and mentioned the presence of 150 Japanese executives accompanying him on the trip.
Brazil is home to a significant Japanese community, with over 2.7 million Japanese citizens and their descendants residing in the country. The first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908, and immigration peaked between World War I and II.
Following his visit to Brazil, Prime Minister Kishida will travel to Paraguay to attend a business summit, meet the Japanese community, and engage in discussions with President Santiago Peña. He is also scheduled to address the Japanese community in Sao Paulo, deliver a speech at the University of Sao Paulo, and participate in a business meeting before concluding his visit.
