Expansion of Agricultural Attachés - Joint Statement from MRE/MAPA

Brazil will increase the number of agricultural attachés in its diplomatic missions abroad from 29 to 40. This expansion was signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a federal government ceremony on Wednesday, the 31st, in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso.

This represents the largest increase in the number of agricultural attachés abroad since the function was established in 2008 by Decree No. 6,464.

Of the 11 new posts, five are located in Asia, three in Africa, two in South America, and one in Europe. The specific locations for the new agricultural attachés will be determined later through an interministerial ordinance by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE).

Agricultural attachés provide advisory services within Brazilian diplomatic missions abroad. Their main activities include identifying opportunities for trade, investment, and cooperation in the Brazilian agribusiness sector. To this end, they maintain dialogue with representatives from the public and private sectors, key opinion leaders in civil society, and academia.

Currently, there are agricultural attachés in the following locations: South Africa, Germany, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Canada, China (two attachés), Colombia, South Korea, Egypt, the United States of America, France (Brazilian Delegation to the Economic International Organizations based in Paris), India, Indonesia, Italy (Permanent Delegation of Brazil to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and International Organizations), Japan, Morocco, Mexico, Switzerland (Brazilian Delegation to the World Trade Organization and other economic organizations in Geneva), Peru, the United Kingdom, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Belgium (Brazilian Mission to the European Union in Brussels, two attachés), and Vietnam.