Analysing Brazil’s ag sector: 7 stories from World Agri-Tech South America Summit 2025

“As goes Brazil, so goes South America” is a common expression, denoting the importance and power the country has on the entire continent. And just as Brazil’s agriculture industry goes, so goes the rest of South America.

Brazil’s agriculture sector is having a moment as the region embraces regenerative agriculture to combat the climate crisis, with ag biological inputs gaining a foothold in the country.

The Brazilian bio-inputs market grew to $827 million in 2023, from $547 million in the previous harvest year, with 50% of sugarcane, 40% of second-crop corn, and 33% of soybeans using biologicals, according to a Kynetec report.

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, remains bullish on the country’s agriculture sector, fueling growth beyond gross domestic product (GDP) projections, Reuters reported. Economists project that Brazil’s GDP will expand by 2.13% in 2025, but Silva said the country can achieve a rate of over 3.4%, Reuters added.

Brazil enters a trade war

Brazil’s agricultural growth comes amidst growing global trade tensions, where the country is moving closer to China and away from the US.

The Trump administration outlined a series of actions against Brazil, including an additional 40% tariffs on most goods from the country — including on beef and coffee — in a executive order titled, Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Brazil on July 30.

The Trump administration levied these actions because officials were “persecuting former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro,” the former president who tried to overthrow the results of Brazil’s 2022 general elections.

These on-going global trade tensions created an opening for Brazil to strengthen its trade relationship with China, which is already the country’s number one importer.

On May 13, Brazil secured access to five additional Chinese markets: corn ethanol byproducts, turkey and duck meat, chicken offal, and peanut meal. The trade deal was “the largest single round of market openings with China,” Carlos Fávaro, Brazil’s minister of agriculture and livestock, said in a release.

The Trump administration’s actions appear to be bolstering Silva’s fourth-term ambitions as well, similar to how favorability shifted to Canadian President Mark Carney amid trade talks with that country. Silva’s favorability was dipping ahead of the trade tensions but has risen to 50.2%, according to a AtlasIntel/Bloomberg.

An opposing candidate to Silva that focuses on a pro-business platform could have a profound impact on the agtech ecosystem in Brazil, Francisco Jardim, general partner at SP Ventures, shared in previous AgTechNavigator reporting.

“The big bet right now from the markets and entrepreneurs is that next year we have elections. ... In Brazil, a lot of people are saying things are really only going to change and get better when we have a change in the administration,” Jardim elaborated.

Revisiting World Agri-Tech South America Summit 2025

These macroeconomic and ag-sector-specific topics were at the heart of the content at the World Agri-Tech South America Summit, which took place June 23-25 in São Paulo this year. Revisit some of the top stories from that event with the links below:

• Brazil’s agtech revolution: Biologicals, regen ag, adoption hot topics for World Agri-Tech day 1 — Innovative technologies, government action and a willingness to embrace change are crucial to accelerating Brazil’s sustainable agriculture industry.
• The bulls on Brazil: 3 VCs discuss how the country can capitalize on ag momentum — Capital investments in Brazil is crucial to unlocking the next stage of growth for the country’s ag sector, as a trio of investors shared with AgTechNavigator during the 2025 World Agri-Tech South America Summit.
• SP Ventures unpacks the macroeconomic factors shaping agtech in Latin America — Latin America’s agtech sector is capitalizing on changing global trade dynamics, as Brazil is nearly a year away from its next presidential election that could breathe new life into the region’s start-up ecosystem.
• Can Brazil become the world’s largest carbon market? — Brazil’s sustainable ag sector is propelling the country’s economy, while government action and innovative technologies are crucial to developing its next hot commodity — carbon.
• Brazilian biologicals start-up Symbiomics closes Series A round with Corteva’s help — Seed and crop protection company Corteva eyes biologicals growth in Brazil, as ag biologicals start-up Symbiomics closes its Series A for an undisclosed amount of money and advances the use of biologicals in the region.
• AI for crop optimization: BASF, Solinftec discuss tech at World Agri-Tech South America Summit — Companies from BASF to Solinftec are using AI to create on-farm efficiencies, reducing the dependence on fertilizers and increasing crop yields.
• Where does connectivity stand for Brazilian farmers? — Non-profit ConectarAgro is empowering Brazil’s agtech revolution by boosting internet connectivity in rural farm communities.