WHY BRAZIL?

 

Despite its history of economic boom and bust, there is no doubt that Brazil is Latin America’s most influential country, a global economic giant in its own right and one of the world’s biggest democracies. 

 

Brazil's natural resources, particularly iron ore, are highly prized by major manufacturing nations, including China.  Thanks to the development of offshore fields, the nation has become self-sufficient in oil, ending decades of dependence on foreign producers.  Brazil is the only country in the world where you can simulataneously fill a car with Ethanol, Petrol and Gas... all of this using Brazilian technology.  Brazil is also the first country in the world to have developed a bio-fuel based on castor oil, again using Brazilian technology. This will revolutionise the Northeast of the country, where castor oil plants are weeds and Petrobrás is beginning to develop the processing system. Petrobrás is the only company in the world with all the technology needed for extracting petroleum from deep-sea oil fields.

 

In the aviation industry, Brazil is the second largest market for executive jets and helicopters and the U.S.A. recognises the quality of Brazilian aeroplanes (produced by Embraer) and will be purchasing highly specialised aircraft for training their Air Force Pilots.

 

Brazil has a highly developed capital market which offers numerous investment opportunities, along with a wide range of services and products. The financial market is based on a modern and solid banking system, a state-of-the-art payment system, and reliable market infrastructure.

 

Despite its recent economic growth and success, there is still great disparity between rich and poor.  The cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in particular have huge slum areas, known as favelas, which are home to one third of the cities' populations.  How will Brazil, along with the rest of the world, capture the energy of its recent success and ensure there is enough of it to go round?

 

click here to see and hear the fellows' own thoughts on 'why Brazil ...?'

Talent & Enterprise Task Force                 The Department for Children, Schools and Families                  The British Council