Brasilia, May 28, 2021: The U.S. and Brazil High Level Working Group on Agriculture and Climate Change (HWLG) restarted discussion during a virtual meeting held on May 28. The Group was founded in 2016 by the USDA and MAPA. During a call between Secretary Vilsack and Minister Tereza Cristina on March 6, 2021, both parties agreed that it would be beneficial to restart the climate change working group to ensure a sustainable, transparent, and rules-based agricultural trading system.
During the virtual meeting, the U.S. delegation brought into discussion climate initiatives such as the U.S. Forest Service programs in Brazil and how Biotechnology can be used as a tool to meet climate change goals. The Brazilian delegation, represented by MAPA and Embrapa, discussed domestic strategies for management and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, and how Biofuels and Bioproducts can be used in the post-oil transition.
Another issue presented by the Brazilian delegation was the new Brazilian ABC+ Climate Plan which lays out Brazil’s goals for sustainable agriculture through 2030, focusing on the integrated management and efficient use of natural resources in rural areas.
According to MAPA, Brazil met some of the targets set for the 2010-2020 ABC Plan: 52 million hectares had applied relevant technologies, well exceeding the target of 35.5 million hectares; carbon emission reduction reached 170 million CO2 ton equivalent, above a target of 133-163 million tons.
Brazil and the United States cooperate effectively on issues of common interest in agricultural production and global free trade, from collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service on projects developing sustainable value chains and fire prevention, as well as exchange programs like the USDA Latex Exchange Program and the Cochran Fellowship Program that facilitates educational exchanges on a range of topics such as biotechnology and crop forecasting.
