By Bernie Pacyniak
For those of you who follow the global political scene, you
might be thinking that my headline refers to the latest presidential elections
in Brazil, where former Marxist guerrilla Dilma Rousseff is in a runoff against
her closest rival, Jose Serra, a former mayor of Sao Paulo and one of the
county’s most experienced politicians.
Poised to became its first female president, Rousseff, who’s
the hand-picked successor of outgoing President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, just
missed on garnering more than 50% of the vote to eliminate a runoff. The former
Marxist guerilla turned economist became Lula’s chief of staff after a scandal
prompted the need for a replacement.
Although such a resume might concern Westerners about a
revolutionary change in government, most Brazilians I talked to indicated that
whoever wins the election won’t necessarily affect the economic good times in
the country. Both candidates are promising to continue Lula’s legacy by
pursuing a strong social program that’s integrated with equal doses of
government investment in Brazil’s infrastructure. According to observers, each
is determined to continue policies that fuel growth in Brazil, which bodes well
for all industries, including confectionery.
My most recent trip to Brazil, which was sponsored by the
Brazilian Association of Cacao, Chocolates, Candies and By-Products (ABICAB), provided me with an
excellent snapshot of the dynamism that’s prevalent there.
As cover stories in Candy Industry and Retail Confectioner
reveal, manufacturers have transformed the vibrancy of the Brazilian culture
into the sweets industry. And while there are a slew of statistics I can rattle
off (you’ll find them in the intro page to the profiles on Garoto and Riclan),
the one I’m pretty jacked about is the $350 million invested in modernizing and
expanding production capabilities.
With the world’s eighth largest economy and a population of
nearly 191 million people, Brazil has the natural resources and consumer base
to support a healthy confectionery marketplace.
Thanks to a race-engine economy, that’s exactly what’s been
happening. It’s also clear that Brazilian confectioners have recognized that
supplying domestic demand provides an opportunity to improve product quality,
modernize operational and processing segments, and introduce more sophisticated
and innovative confections, simultaneously.
That also opens doors to the export market, one that’s been
dominated by China as of late. The ongoing sensitivities of retailers and
consumers about the safety of Chinese food products enhance the opportunities
for Brazil’s progressive confectionery manufacturers.
Brazil has been known as the South American country with the
greatest potential, which stems from its access to vast natural resources, its
integration of various races and cultures, and a marked zest for life.
But as Getulio Ursulino Netto, president of ABICAB, remarked
in his opening presentation to journalists invited to visit Sweet Brazil, the
country’s annual confectionery show, “Brazil’s potential is now.”
I agree. No time like the present to secure the future.