FAO’s new Director General won’t have an easy job, but still “we have hope”, says Francisco Caporal. Since FAO’s mandate is “to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to good quality food”, it would be great to see if José Graziano da Silva has read the reports of his … Read more

Opinion: There is little to celebrate during this International Year of Forests, says Francisco Caporal International year of the forest 2011Because of its growing demand for inputs and energy, it is increasingly evident that the Green Revolution approach is environmentally unsustainable. But also, and most of all, it is unsustainable because it has an inherent … Read more

Francisco Caporal argues against changes in the Brazilian Forest Code. Industrial agriculture is expanding in order to remain competitive, and this growth does not consider environmental concerns. But the biggest worry today is that many persons and organisations are pushing for changes in the existing legislation – especially those laws and regulations which have proved … Read more

A couple of months ago, The Economist published a long article praising Brazilian agriculture, something that led to outbursts of patriotism, and to Brazilians expressing pride on their “success”. But how successful is this model so generously praised? Francisco Caporal argues that The Economist is wrong. On closer examination, this article seems to have been … Read more