We got off to an early start this morning, checking out of our Avenida Paulista hotel a little after 7am.  Bunge was our first stop of the day on the northern part of São Paulo.  We had visited the Bunge research facility in Bradley, Illinois back in April so this was really our first opportunity to compare a United States agribusiness facility to a Brazilian one. 

The Bunge plant here was mainly a margarine producing plant (hence Butter) of Delicia, literally the most delicious brand of margarine in all of Brazil.  This particular plant pumps out over 300 tons of margarine per week, packaged for both consumers and processors.  We have come to see a pattern over the course of all of our stops so far, in that each company has sent their Corporate Social Responsibility representative to present an overview of their companies.  Sustainability has been a huge theme across all of the companies and it is evident that Brazil is largely focused on the concepts of using renewable energy, limiting deforestation, and educating farmers on policy. Bunge Brasil was also extremely proud that all of its facilities were run on 93% renewable energy compared to the worldwide average of just 14%.  Hardhats and hairnets aside, Bunge was another informative stop and we boarded the bus for another familiar face in agribusiness-Monsanto.

After swinging back on the interstate we followed São Paulo's well-known polluted river towards the modern and beautiful financial district.  Felipe, our guide, said that the city has been talking about cleaning up the river for 10 years, but the bureaucratic government in São Paulo has never made it happen.  After getting checked by security, we jumped on the main elevators to head up to the seventh floor of the skyscraper that was Monsanto's headquarters.  On one particular ride up, there were six IBIP guys, Mr. Vogen, and a Brazilian also riding to the seventh floor.  The Brazilian exited the elevator first with us following.  Two minutes later our Monsanto guide asked if we talked to the President of Monsanto Brazil.  We immediately tried reflecting on what kind of conversation we had, regardless of what we said, it was not the professional elevator talk that they would train you to do in a business class.  At Monsanto we met with our first American agribusiness contact-Jennifer Ralston.  She was a graduate of UC-Davis in California, had worked for Monsanto in St. Louis for 11 years, and recently moved her family 15 months ago to São Paulo with her job as the Director of Technology and Development of Monsanto Brazil.  Also in the room were members of the government regulatory team for Monsanto Brazil. 

Jennifer's presentation gave us a great overview of the grain production industry in Brazil, specifically on soybean production levels across the country (hence Beans).  One of the facts about Brazilian agriculture that Monsanto and so many other agribusiness companies are excited about is that there are potentially 400 million more farmable acres in Brazil currently in pasture.  Another key topic was an issue the regulatory team was facing in trying to get a Monsanto Brazil developed soybean technology, Intacta, approved in China, Brazil's main consumer of soybeans.  Intacta basically contains our Round Up Ready 2 technology and is resistant to numerous Brazilian pests that currently damage yield.  Monsanto explained that in Brazil there is a very systematic structure to receive approval of a new technology, in that you will be approved or denied within 30 days.  In China there is no time table and it could take up to ten years.  Most of their approvals are based on politics and leveraging items on hold with other issues unrelated to what Monsanto is trying to accomplish. Having thought our visit was going to be more focused around the Round Up royalties issue, Monsanto talked casually about it as if it were no longer a large issue for them.

After a fantastic complimentary Brazilian-style buffet lunch hosted by Monsanto at Caluma, we boarded our bus Northbound towards Piracicaba.  All in all it was another educational and exciting day in Brazil.