The external perception of Brazil has improved in recent months, with the country's return to international forums, which still contrasts with the view of the internal situation, marked by instability. This is, in summary, the assessment of the former Brazilian ambassador in Washington and London between the 1990s and early 2000s Rubens Barbosa about the country's image abroad. The diplomat understands that the way for the country to reinforce its reputation globally is soft power with an emphasis on international and multilateral negotiation, in addition to the transmission of great knowledge.
In an interview given from Paris to Reputation Feed, via online, the diplomat reinforces that Brazil needs to invest particularly in three areas in which it is a power and exercises power of influence: environmental policy, food policy and renewable energy. This is the path, in the opinion of the president of the Institute of International Relations and Foreign Trade (Irice), an independent think tank, for Brazil to free itself from stereotypes that still persist beyond its borders.
Today, the perception of the country has returned to being positive, but many people still see it as beaches, sun, women, football. And we need to get rid of the idea that we are the country of the future, he claims. The alternative he sees for Brazil to break with this image is to invest in areas in which it is recognized as a reference. “Brazil has to act within global themes that everyone follows, everyone understands”, he recommends.
The diplomat believes that Brazil's soft power is cultural, technical assistance: “Brazil is not a nuclear power. Its vocation is the soft power of international, multilateral negotiation, of transmitting great knowledge. Brazil, in the agricultural sector, with Embrapa and in other areas, is at the forefront of global research. We don’t take advantage of that.” In Barbosa's assessment, soft power – a concept created by political scientist Joseph S. Nye, from Harvard University –, which has as its source foreign politics, culture and political values, would project Brazil in a very different way from what happens today.
It is the first time in history that the country has a power through which it can assert its interests in these three areas, consecutively – clean energy, food security and, above all, in the environmental issue, with the Amazon, he highlights. From a sustainability point of view, the diplomat says that there has been a change for the better, with advances in climate policy and in relation to the treatment of the Amazon forest, but there is more to be done: “Brazil does not even capitalize on the issue of food security, nor that of renewable energy, in which it is strong. The country does not know how to take advantage of its value in these three areas, in which it is a global power”.
On issues of food security and clean energy, the former ambassador claims that Brazil could do as other countries are doing: set rules. “We are seeing the European Union do this for the environment, with the Green Deal. Brazil, as a power, could refuse, could in some way take measures against the European Union. The country is a rule-taker, is not a rule-maker. And in these three areas, it could be a rule-maker.”
The former ambassador is skeptical regarding the goals of ESG policies, not only in Brazil, but globally. One of the reasons is the fact that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led to greater use of coal by European countries for energy generation, something until recently more associated with China. “This war was a factor in disorganizing the energy market and the food market. We are at risk of having a situation that gets out of control, with the conflict spilling out of Ukraine and into other areas. The world, in the coming years, will grow less, there will be more inflation. This will affect not only developed countries, but especially developing countries.”
There is misinformation about agribusiness
According to Barbosa, abroad, due to lack of information, people mistakenly associate negative facts about the Amazon with agribusiness: “Brazilian agriculture has advanced brutally in technological terms. Brazil, along with the European Union, China and the United States, is among the largest agricultural producers. And this doesn't happen because of ease or someone's favor. It has improved because of technology.”
Investments in technology have placed Brazil among the largest agricultural producers in the world, highlights Barbosa – Photo: Shutterstock
Even so, it recognizes some excesses in the Amazon, especially in the area of livestock farming, which are negatively exploited abroad. “Soybeans and corn are not produced in these deforested areas, except marginally. But then, mainly Europe, exploits this for protectionist reasons, especially France, Austria, Greece, Poland, Ireland. And it becomes a negative factor when there is misinformation. But Brazil needs to make a commitment to prevent any deforestation linked to livestock exploitation, including with planting regeneration programs in these areas that were deforested a long time ago.”
Country has to occupy regional space
In the former ambassador's assessment, the country also needs to establish itself more in relation to other Latin American countries:
“Brazil will gain value and have its position recognized as it occupies a space in South America. If the country leads in the region, it will have a much stronger projection than it is today individually. This is another factor that should be corrected in the future for external projection..”
As for rapprochement with the South bloc, through Brics, Barbosa does not see conditions for immediate advancement, due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. “But, with the exception of South Africa, which has less political weight, the countries that make up the BRICS – in addition to Brazil, Russia and South Africa, China and India – will play a very important role on the global stage.”
Protectionism is the name of the game
Regarding the fact that Brazil still has a closed economy and that progress in multilateral negotiations appears to be slow, the diplomat sees no reason for concern: “It doesn't affect much, no. Multinational companies have always been interested in Brazil due to the size of the domestic market.”
“Multinational companies have always been interested in Brazil due to the size of the domestic market.”
Regarding multilateral negotiations, he believes that the situation has improved with the Mercosur trade agreements, a bloc for whose creation he played a decisive role in the negotiations with Argentina. “We are close to making a free trade agreement with the European Union, negotiating with Singapore. Little by little, this issue of trade agreements is gradually being modified. But that's not a problem, because all countries today have embarked on protectionism – in Europe, in the United States. Protectionism is today the name of the game.”
Rubens Barbosa is also closely following the fact that the world is entering a phase of transition to the post-Western scenario, which will take a few years: “In relation to this world, the Asian one, Brazil is actually well situated. China and India will return to occupy the place they had in the past. Asia will dominate the world, politically, economically and commercially. India has now surpassed China in terms of population. So, today, you have the United States, India and China among the largest, two of them Asian. In a few years, there may be some reaction as occurred with Athens in the face of Sparta's emergence. With or without war, China will occupy this place.”
Clovis Malta is a journalist
Clovis.malta@ankreputation.com.br
