Haddad receives support from agro researchers in meeting with ‘progressive Faria Lima’

Part of the “progressive Faria Lima” that engaged in former President Lula’s (PT) campaign for the presidency met again this Friday morning (28) to hear the PT candidate for the government of São Paulo, Fernando Haddad, and delivery of a letter signed by employees, researchers and students of Esalq/USP (School of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo),

The document was delivered to Haddad by the former Minister of Agriculture in the Lula government, Luis Carlos Guedes Pinto. Dubbed “Agro is with Lula and Haddad”, the petition lists what it considers to be advances in the agricultural sector achieved during PT’s administrations.

“What this letter says is that it recognizes the exceptional work carried out during the Lula administration,” said Guedes Pinto. “And all this happened as a result of public policy and at the same time that there was a policy to combat deforestation. It is perfectly possible,” he said.

The letter argues that “the future of agriculture in Brazil is at stake.” Among the criticisms directed at the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), which is seeking re-election, the document points to the “desperate increase in deforestation in all Brazilian biomes, causing real and future losses for agriculture.”

The criticism also extends to Haddad’s opponent, the candidate for the government of São Paulo Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), who is Bolsonaro’s former minister. The group that signs the letter says that the candidate has a “privatizing project that does not value public research in São Paulo” and that “does not demonstrate urgency in combating and eradicating hunger.”

The meeting was organized a few meters from Avenida Faria Lima, considered the financial center of São Paulo, in a building on Rua Amauri occupied by investment managers.

Invited to address those who were still undecided about voting this Sunday, Haddad criticized Tarcísio, citing moments from the debate held the night before by TV Globo (“he cited proposals from my government program as if they were his”).

“We have to choose someone who knows how to build political processes, who has a democratic tradition, who knows how to dialogue with the opposite, who knows how to build consensus,” he said. “I know a lot of people here maybe the finger can’t even press 1 and 3, but do it, press 13.”

In an interview at the end of the meeting, Haddad defended the resumption of the PAA (Food Acquisition Plan) and the public stocks of Conab (National Supply Company). According to him, these policies play an important role in the formation of food prices.

“Every day you go to the supermarket is a scare. When we had the PAA, which later became the UN World Food Programme, this brought extraordinary gains to the low-income population”, he said.

“You had prices that were practically stable for ten years in Brazil because you had regulatory stock. It gives producers enormous security to produce because there is no problem to sell production. So everyone starts planting.”

Before delivering the letter to Haddad, the elected federal deputy Marina Silva (Rede) –former Minister of the Environment in the Lula government– defended the articulation of policies that promote the use of technologies and research to increase productivity and encourage agriculture of low carbon.

“Brazilian agribusiness has a highly technological part, which understood how to enter the most demanding markets,” said Marina. “We cannot think that all Brazilian agribusiness is one that has a persistent reactionary agenda. It is a noisy minority.”

Marina defended that a public policy to combat deforestation and synergy with the productive sector has positive effects on the overthrow of tariff barriers.

“As long as the spokespeople are those who are not concerned with indigenous peoples, who are not concerned with water sources, with protecting forests, everyone is in a very difficult situation. It is no use saying that it is an image problem” , said Marina.

A little over a month ago, the European Parliament validated a proposal to ban the entry of commodities linked to deforestation into the European market. Parliamentarians even sent a letter to President Jair Bolsonaro to express concern about the increase in violence against the indigenous population and the government’s political agenda for the environment.

Also at this Friday’s meeting, Haddad signed a letter with the Permanent Green Forum of Parks, Squares and Green Areas, in which he commits to working together with the São Paulo City Hall to create mechanisms to protect conservation areas, ecological corridors and the fight against deforestation.

Group will take a pro-Lula and Haddad walk in Faria Lima

Some of the organizers of these meetings to bring Lula and Haddad closer to undecided voters in the second round will take a walk this Saturday (29 with Senator Simone Tebet (MDB).

From 10 am, there will be a breakfast for guests, followed by the walk. Dubbed “Saturday of Hope”, the movement asks participants to wear white.