Agriculture: BRICS countries approve Joint Declaration with focus on food security

This was a ministerial meeting of agriculture ministers, and the Joint Declaration will now be forwarded to the BRICS summit, where the leaders can agree or not. We will be looking at the formal article that accompanies the Declaration.

First Assessment:

This Agricultural BRICS Joint Declaration is the result of a talk shop that did not create anything, but is based on Brazilian Interaction in the UN via the Millenium Development Goals, documents developed by the G7 and subsequently accepted by the G20, COP. I can’t help but ask where is BRICS? as I cannot find even one document or reference piece that is not in some or other way of Brazilian origin or Brazilian sponsorship, and drawn from the G7 / G20 / COP / UN Millenium Development Goals. This Joint Declaration is a talkshop piece.

You will find the Joint Declaration available to look at in the article, where it automatically downloads, and I cannot reference it as a link. https://brics.br/en/news/brics-countries-approve-joint-declaration-with-focus-on-food-security

The first serious meeting of this kind was held in 2022 and the result was a document (declaration) called BRICS Strategy on Food Security.

In this current meeting they state that they are building on the Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition and drawn from the G7 and adopted by the G20.  They say; “We also recognise the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty as an important initiative to promote international cooperation.  Are we not supposed tobe promoting BRICS cooperation?  Again, directly from the G7 / G20.  In this case, they are into the Global Development Goals and guess what, they reference the Brazilian initiatives.

Let’s do a high level comparison of the 2022 document (2 pages) and this document (18  pages).

To say it clearly, the 2 pager was clear, direct and gave us the policy and strategy, i.e., the bones to start building on. The 18 page current document, is full of women’s equality, youth capacity building, documents from the G7, the G20 and COP. There is very little BRICS here and there is no creativity. I may as well have read something ginned up by the UN.

A segue: with thanks to a small ‘thinktank’ that we brought together by committed BRICS followers over the past few days.

Why did LULA veto the inclusion of Venezuela at previous BRICS Kazan summit? This was purely political. The previous president, Bolsonaro, we all know, was a Trump supporter. LULA, possibly to differentiate himself politically, turned out to be a Kamela Harris or rather democratic supporter. As one discussion member said, “He put all his eggs in the wrong basket.” The non-quality of this Agricultural BRICS document is almost mute testimony to having eggs cuddling in the wrong basket and making up words to describe someone else’s eggs.. In addition, early on LULA called Trump a fascist and joined Macron’s initiative for democracy. Let’s do a comparison with the President of Mexico who has never insulted Trump, always open for negotiations, perfectly courteous, even while the attempt to screw Mexico is ongoing. It demonstrates the difference between those with class and the barbarians. Quietly, the relationship with Russia and with China is being worked on, without stirring the Trumpist hornets’ nest and keeping her country together and people motivated with a very short slogan: “coordination, yes; submission, never”.

In Brazil, Bolsonaro is alive and well and making hay among his supporters, while posting screeds of emotional pics on his stay in hospital where he has just undergone something like a 5th surgery. Even I felt sorry for him, it is so emotionally done and he looks so brave while sucking on the oxygen and the sympathy teat, lol. The LULA supporters are angry and he is losing support hand over fist. LULA has handled this like a thug, while Bolsonaro has nothing to worry about except his comeback to Brazilian politics if legally, he is allowed.

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Following is the article, and I will point out inline the overlaps with the G7, the G20, COP, and the Brazilian part of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

AGRICULTURE
BRICS countries approve Joint Declaration with focus on food security

Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture through Cooperation, Innovation, and Equitable Trade among BRICS was the theme of the Ministerial Meeting held on Thursday, April 4, in Brasília. The event brought together Agriculture Ministers and leaders from the 11 member countries, who approved and signed a Joint Declaration reaffirming their commitment to sustainable agricultural development, food security, and reducing inequalities in rural areas. Signing the declaration symbolizes the group’s dedication to concrete, cooperative action. It is a political gesture that reinforces their unity and shared responsibility in pursuing common goals on the global stage.

[Oh yes, to call your own Joint Declaration a ‘political gesture’ describes it well.  And the second word is ‘inclusive’ with screeds of DEI language following.  There is a reason, as you will see]

BRICS countries represent 54.5% of the world’s population, hold one-third of global agricultural land, and possess over one-third of the world’s freshwater resources, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária/MAPA). Together, they account for 75% of global agricultural production and are home to roughly half of the world’s 550 million family farms—many of which are run by small-scale producers.

“This data not only reveals the productive and economic strength of the BRICS countries but also their decisive role in the world’s agriculture and food security. Meetings like this are a privileged space for dialogue and cooperation, and for building joint solutions,” stated Brasil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro.

[Note: There are copious passages like this, but there are no joint solutions offered. It is just a weak ‘yet another resolution’ document that promises the world but delivers little]

“We all wish to reach the same level as Brasil regarding food production. Agriculture is a key aspect, and discussing this theme at BRICS is extremely valuable. Coming from a much marginalized and poor continent, such as Africa, where agriculture is not as developed, it is of great importance for us to participate in this process.”

Focused on food security, sustainability, and facilitating international agricultural trade, the document approved by the ministers represents a landmark for global agriculture, establishing clear guidelines for the 2025-2028 period.

According to South African Ambassador Vusi Mavimbela, BRICS represents a strategic opportunity for exchanging experiences and strengthening cooperation among member countries, particularly in such key areas as agriculture.

[There are only two Agricultural Ministers of other countries referenced and the rest is Brazil]

“We all wish to reach the same level as Brasil regarding food production. Agriculture is a key aspect, and discussing this theme at BRICS is extremely valuable. Coming from a much marginalized and poor continent, such as Africa, where agriculture is not as developed, it is of great importance for us to participate in this process.”

The first commitment relates to food and nutritional security, with emphasis on ensuring equitable access to quality food for all populations, particularly in times of global crises. The declaration recognizes the importance of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty to promote international cooperation.

[What is the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty? It is a Brazilian initiative from the G20 that is held by Brazil. ” The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty is a multilateral treaty that was drafted by the Federal Government of Brazil. Brazil acts as depository. The draft was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rio de Janeiro on 24 July 2024 by the G20 countries and international organizations.”

And so we see ongoing that Brazil is doing two things on the face of it. They are the convenors and they do lead the meetings. But none of the current documentation is BRICS documentation. It is all drawn from the G7/G20 and COP) which is Brazil’s favorite organizations. LULA has lost all his friends with placing his eggs in the wrong basket overall. And now the initiative is heavily slanted to Brazilian initiatives]

The country representatives recognized the essential role of agriculture as a cornerstone for eradicating hunger and reducing social and regional inequalities. Moreover, given that the New Development Bank (NDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are founding members of the Global Alliance, the Declaration encourages both institutions to engage with member countries willing to implement policy instruments and programs related to this theme.

[Wrong way around copout. The countries need to engage as I illustrate at the end]

Among the agreed actions are the strengthening of strategic food reserves, investment in storage infrastructure, and the promotion of public policy instruments such as minimum price support and the monitoring of production costs — all aimed at stabilizing access to essential food items. These measures are intended to address price volatility, identified as one of the main challenges to global food security.

The Declaration also includes a commitment that, in exceptional situations affecting any BRICS country —such as food shortages or sudden price spikes— cooperation among members can support emergency responses, grounded in solidarity among the countries.

While respecting each country’s agricultural strategy, BRICS encourages the formation of food stocks, whenever possible, through the purchase of products from small-scale family farming. This approach can help revitalize and develop rural areas, generate income for low-income communities, and promote the value and preservation of local and native food production and consumption.

[Unfortunately again, this paragraph is talk shop wording. Where is the creativity? Where is for example the creation of a fund that could perhaps work on the principles of shared membership, to put reality to the vacuous language.]

Family Farming

Regarding small-scale agricultural producers, the Executive Secretary of Brazil’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário e Agricultura Familiar/MDA), Fernanda Machiaveli, emphasized the importance of strengthening policies for family farming and reaffirmed the bloc’s role in building a more sustainable and just future for small-scale producers.

She underscored that although the world is experiencing significant technological advancements, it is essential for innovation to reach small-scale agriculture. “Technology must serve to facilitate work in the fields, generate income, and ensure the production of healthy and diverse foods,” she argued.

Among the strategic items highlighted by the secretary and included in the Joint Declaration is the promotion of partnerships among Global South countries aimed at producing machinery and equipment tailored to family farming. The goals, she argued, are to promote dignity, attract young people to rural areas, and accelerate a just transition.

[This I thought was an initiative to strenthen agricultural production and deal with both the quality and availability of food. Here we go into a type of DEI language where we now promote dignity and a just transition. We’re BRICS. Dignity is baked in the cake and a just transition? May I ask transitioning to what?

“Family farming is not responsible for the global rise in temperatures, as it does not contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, it is the sector suffering the most from climate change, precisely because it depends on the climate. In this sense, these producers must be included in the transition process — first, so they can adapt; and second, because they will play a key role in mitigation through carbon sequestration, by adopting increasingly sustainable practices,” said Fernanda Machiaveli. She also emphasized that “family farming has the potential to combine agroecology, sustainable natural resource management, and the conservation of biodiversity by traditional populations.”

[Dear Fernanda, please tell us exactly how you’re doing to do that, or are you simply preaching? As you will see in the next paragraph quoted from Egypt, it is the same DEI language and Sustainable Development Goals]

Egyptian Ambassador Mai Khalil recalled that the document also addressed the promotion of women’s participation in the agricultural sector, noting that women in rural areas are more vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition than men. Empowering women and reducing gender disparities in agriculture and food systems are essential for eradicating hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, as well as achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.

[Now we are empowering women and girls according to UN sustainable development goals. May I ask, is this a women’s conference or an agricultural conference?]

“BRICS countries are committed to addressing the needs of women and vulnerable groups. This concern was reflected in the development of the Joint Declaration, where we emphasized the importance of designing programs to support women in the rural sector, with a particular focus on credit, knowledge, technology, training, and finance,” the ambassador highlighted.

Sustainability and Innovation

Another important argument presented in the Joint Declaration is that BRICS countries have the potential to play a strategic role in the sustainable and inclusive increase of global agricultural productivity through the alignment of their industrial capacities with the needs of small-scale producers, both within the bloc and in other Global South nations. To advance on this path, the document recommends the adoption of investment strategies that foster partnerships among companies and universities in the member countries, promoting the local production of agricultural machinery and the voluntary exchange of innovative technologies adapted to regional contexts.

The Declaration proposes the establishment of a structured financing mechanism, potentially involving international organizations, to support projects focused on soil conservation and the restoration of degraded areas such as mangroves, riverbanks, floodplains, and wetlands. Priority actions include correcting soil acidity, controlling salinization, and investing in research, infrastructure, and technical assistance for agricultural workers and rural landowners. To support the adoption of these practices, the document highlights the launch of the BRICS Partnership for Land Restoration, in alignment with the framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

[Need I repeat myself. This has become just another amplification of UN Conventions.]

Fewer Barriers for Agricultural Trade

The third and final pillar of the Declaration focuses on facilitating international agricultural trade, intending to reduce unnecessary barriers, promote transparency, and enable the exchange of agricultural and livestock products among member countries. It also proposes the adoption of digital certification to reduce bureaucracy, mitigate the risk of fraud, prevent falsification, and improve traceability.

Another commitment is the potential establishment of a mechanism to facilitate financing for food imports within BRICS, as a means of providing emergency financial relief to low- and middle-income countries affected by rising costs of food and other essential inputs, such as fertilizers and energy.

“The result of the work carried out during this two-month cycle of intense dialogue is reflected in the Declaration we signed today. It represents a political commitment to our BRICS partners and to the world. Above all, it expresses our shared desire to move forward on what we consider a priority: ensuring that our populations have access to nutritious and safe food,” concluded Rivetla Edipo Araujo Cruz, Executive Secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura/MAPA).

2025–2028 Action Plan

The event also marked the conclusion of the 2021–2024 Action Plan for Agricultural Cooperation among BRICS countries and the launch of the 2025–2028 Action Plan, which reflects a more ambitious approach aligned with principles that seek to balance food and agricultural needs with environmental sustainability.

This new plan will operationalize the political commitments outlined in the Declaration, setting goals, deadlines, and concrete initiatives to be submitted for approval at the BRICS Summit, scheduled for July 6–7 in Rio de Janeiro.

[A new plan, new initiatives, new goals with concrete initiatives all harvested from G7, G20 and COP. If you scan through the Declaration you will find copious examples of this. And after these two months of intense discussion, we have a weak action plan, that contains no real action but contains vagueries, talk shop language, promises for the future and Brazilian initives. Dear BRICS, get off your duffs and get done with talkshopping!]

… End of Article

My Summary

To illustrate, let me write two quick and high-level illustration imaginary action items for this declaration.  These are illustrations and certainly not refined statements:

1. To combat desertification, we have drawn together a group of experts from X and Y. a)These experts stand ready to assist you in building a local initiative in your country to combat desertification. b)We have drawn together a library of educational materials that you may take back to your countries to discuss locally. c)We have initiated conversations with the New Development Bank, and they stand ready to consider funding for an initial investigation.

2. In order to share produce among BRICS countries trading in local currency, we have produced a produce bank database where we indicate what is available in our BRICS  market place.  This contains estimated future harvests which even now you could bid on.  Let us strengthen our BRICS countries and work effectively toward food security by making information available well in advance in order to create local planning for your country.  Responsible for this active produce bank informational database is (and name the names).

What is also spectacularly missing in this article and the Declaration itself is an assessment of previous failures and successes.  At this stage, I see at least this agricultural meeting of BRICS falling into talkshop mode and borrowing documents from those who have made no material difference in our world.  The incessant inclusion of DEI language masks the vacuous emptiness of the 18 pages of the Resolution and could have been dealt with in one sentence.   It is obscurantism.  This is but the tip of the iceberg.  It is both a political issue from Brazil itself, a profound interference in what should be a positive and action-based workshop, and in my view, these documents are useless.  Yes, one has to look at the available literature out there and not reinvent the wheel, but to coolly draw together a Declaration out of Brazilian initiatives at other non-BRICS international organizations reeks of the brakes being slammed on somewhere in the organization with a severe shortage of both initiative and creativity.

I am really sorry to report that at this stage it seems as if LULA wants to repair his tarnished political reputation on the back of BRICS and this Declaration is all optics and form.  There is very little of substance.  It is, however, time to clone Mr Lavrov.  On April 28-29, Sergey Lavrov will participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

A reminder:  https://sovereignista.com/2025/04/23/run-up-to-brics-in-brazil-not-only-in-moscow-circles/