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16<br />
amaraty, where the FTAA-negotiations are led by ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães.<br />
Guimarães is considered a general skeptic of the FTAA, while the Secretary<br />
of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues 17 , and the Secretary of Development, Industry and<br />
Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, are seen as strong supporters who have openly<br />
criticized the negotiation strategy of Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães and have demanded<br />
more ways in which to influence the negotiation process for their ministries. The<br />
background to this is that “especially the Agricultural and the Development Ministries<br />
are considered strongholds of FTAA-apologists, because here the industrial lobbyists<br />
(from the agricultural, steel and textile sectors), which expect advantages from<br />
a free trade area, are very influential.” 18 Therefore, Lula’s coalition government was<br />
obligated to cut the power of the Itamaraty in the area of free trade negotiations, by<br />
ordering the participation of the Agricultural and the Development Ministries, as well<br />
as the Finance Ministry of Secretary Antonio Palocci in the negotiations. 19<br />
The lobbyists of the agricultural exporters 20 are in favor of a broad free trade<br />
agreement with the EU, under the condition that all market-distorting agricultural<br />
subsidies are cut on the part of the EU: in 2003 Brazil was the world’s largest exporter<br />
of poultry in terms of net sales, exporting a value of 1.85 billion US-dollars<br />
compared to the U.S. with net sales of 1.5 billion US-dollars. However, in terms of<br />
quantity, the U.S. exported 2.3 million tons at an average price of 600 US-dollars per<br />
ton, as compared to Brazil that exported 2 million tons at a price of 900 US-dollars. 21<br />
The current Secretary of Development and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, was<br />
“Presidente do Conselho de Administração” (“Chairman of the Board”) at Sadia S.A.<br />
before being appointed to office: “This Brazilian company is the largest producer of<br />
poultry, pork and processed meat in Brazil and is composed of 12 industrial plants,<br />
present in seven states.” 22 This circumstance, according to a report by Anotícia (AN)<br />
from January 3, 2003, led an anonymous representative of the EU to come to the<br />
17 “Überdies hat die einflussreiche Grundbesitzerlobby mit Agrarminister Roberto Rodrigues einen wichtigen Mann<br />
in der Regierung. Der ehemalige Präsident des brasilianischen Agribusiness-Verbands besitzt im nordöstlichen<br />
Bundesstaat Maranhão selbst eine 4 000 Hektar große Sojaplantage.” Le Monde Diplomatique: Die gewollte<br />
Ausbreitung von Round Ready. Brasiliens Exportschlager Soja und der Gentechkonzern Monsanto, 12.12.2003.<br />
Own translation: “Furthermore, the influential big landowners’ lobby has an important man in the government: The<br />
Secretary of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues. The former president of the Brazilian agrobusiness-association himself<br />
owns a large soya-plantation of 4000 hectares in the northeastern state of Maranhão.”<br />
18 Own translation of the following original text: “[i]nsbesondere das Landwirtschafts- und Entwicklungsministerium<br />
gelten als Hochburgen der ALCA-Apologeten, weil hier die Lobbyisten der Industrie (Agribusiness, Stahl, Textilien),<br />
die sich von einer Freihandelszone Vorteile versprechen, über großen Einfluß verfügen.” Taken from: Fátima V.Mello<br />
(FASE / Rebrip)/ Thomas Fatheuer (Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Rio de Janeiro): Zwischen WTO und ALCA – Brasilien auf<br />
der Suche nach neuen Wegen, 2003.<br />
19 “Itamaraty perde um pouco de autonomia na Alca”, Valor Econômico 17.10.2003.<br />
20 See, e.g., the following institution financed by the Brazilian agricultural exporters: “Instituto de Estudos do Comércio<br />
e Negociações Internacionais” (ICONE), http://www.iconebrasil.org.br/index_01.asp.<br />
21 Estado de São Paulo, December 11, 2003.<br />
22 http://www.weforum.org/site/knowledgenavigator.nsf/Content/Furlan%20Luiz%20Fernando?open.