Class 11 Prepares for Tour of Brazil

By Mike Danna
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Public Relations Director

If you look at a map of the world, particularly South America, you find that Brazil makes up nearly 50 percent of the land mass there.

Brazil is big. That’s good from an agricultural standpoint. The more land you have the more you things you can produce. No doubt you’ve heard the stories of how Brazil has reduced its dependence on oil by fueling its cars and trucks with ethanol. In fact, Brazil is the world’s second largest producer of ethanol and the world’s largest exporter. Together, Brazil and the United States lead the world in the industrial production of ethanol, accounting for 89 percent of total global production in 2008.

But more vehicles use ethanol on Brazilian roadways than we, at least in the foreseeable future, could ever dream of.  I won’t go into all the political reasons ethanol has not established more of an economic foothold in this country, (Can you say “ExxonMobil?”) but we’re likely to be amazed at the amount of ethanol Brazilian motorists use.  Ethanol will likely power the buses we tour in and cabs we ride in around Rio.

As it did when I toured China in 2008 with Class 10, my blog will help those back home keep up with our trip.  I’ll be posting daily reports, photos and videos of our time in Brazil, so pass along the web address, http://mikedanna.wordpress.com to all those who might want to keep up with you during our trip.

For some of you, it’s your first trip outside the country and that can be a bit disconcerting for family members.  But not to worry.  Dr. Soileau has worked diligently, planning this trip down to the last detail.  Remember, when traveling abroad don’t forget to pack your common sense.  Travel in groups, in well-lighted, populated areas and don’t go too far off the beaten path.

In Brazil they speak Portuguese.  That’s because Brazil was a colony of Portugal after Pedro Alvares Cabral landed there in 1500.  However, the languages are a bit similar, so if you have a working knowledge of Spanish, you’ll fare better than most.

I’ll be broadcasting our weekly television program “This Week in Louisiana Agriculture” from Brazil, so I’ll want to interview some of you.  You’ve all had media training, so don’t sweat it.  I’ll be traveling with Jim Monroe from our staff.  Jim and I have reported from China the last two trips we made there.  Jim is an excellent photographer, so we’ll have some great photos to post each day.

I’m looking forward to traveling with Class 11.  Some of you I know personally, others professionally.  Christian, Dwayne and Amelia are part of our Young Farmer and Rancher network and have appeared on the show many times.  Epney helped me tremendously during our coverage of Hurricane Katrina and Mark Legendre and I share the same watchmaker.  And if you have time, read Michael Blazier’s piece on switchgrass and trees used in biofuels in the latest edition of “Louisiana Agriculture.”

Until next time…