Why is Food in Brazil Getting More and More Expensive? Brazil - OPINION 14/03/2025
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Mar 13
- 3 min read
By Claudia Andrade
Why is Food in Brazil Getting More and More Expensive?
If you've been shopping in the market lately, you've probably already felt in your pocket that some basic foods are getting more and more expensive. Coffee, which is part of Brazilians' routine, has seen a significant increase. Eggs, an affordable alternative for protein, have also skyrocketed in price. But what is behind this rise? What needs to be done to change this scenario? And how does this directly affect the lives of those already facing financial difficulties?
The answer involves a number of factors, from climate change to economic policies and international market demands. Let's take a closer look.
Climate and Food Production
Brazil is one of the world's largest food producers, but that doesn't mean we're immune to supply problems. In recent years, extreme weather events, such as prolonged droughts and frosts, have affected entire harvests. Coffee, for example, suffered greatly from these variations, especially in Minas Gerais and São Paulo, reducing production and consequently raising prices.
In the case of eggs, the impact came from the cost of feed, which depends on corn and soybeans - two products that also faced climatic difficulties and increased global demand, making their production more expensive. The result? Higher prices for producers, who pass this cost on to the consumer.
Even if the harvest is good, the food needs to reach the consumer. And then there's another problem: the cost of transportation. Brazil has expensive logistics, very dependent on roads and fossil fuels. The price of diesel, which has risen due to the variation in oil prices on the global market, makes freight more expensive, directly impacting the products that reach market shelves.
Fertilizers and other agricultural inputs are also more expensive. Brazil imports a large proportion of these products, and the rise in the dollar has pushed costs even higher. When production becomes more expensive, the end consumer feels the impact.
Inflation and the devalued Real
Another important point is inflation and the devaluation of the Real. When our currency loses value against the dollar, everything we buy from abroad becomes more expensive - and this includes agricultural inputs, fuels and even food that needs to be imported.
What's more, when international prices for products like coffee and soy go up, producers prefer to sell abroad, where they can make more profit. This reduces supply on the domestic market and causes prices to rise even more here at home.
In the end, all this is reflected in families' budgets. For those who already have a tight income, the rise in food prices is a serious problem. Many people start replacing nutritious products with cheaper, less healthy options, which compromises the quality of their diet and, in some cases, even leads to hunger.
This scenario has a direct impact on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 1 (Eradication of Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture). When basic foodstuffs become expensive, more people become vulnerable, increasing poverty rates and food insecurity.
The rise in food prices in Brazil is not something isolated - it is linked to climatic, logistical and economic factors. To change this reality, a joint effort is needed between the government, the productive sector and society. Commitment to the SDGs can't just be lip service; action is needed to ensure that everyone has access to quality food. After all, food on the table should not be a privilege, but a right for all.
#FoodSecurity #ODS1 #ODS2 #ODS13 #ClimateChange #SustainableAgriculture #ZeroPoverty #SustainableDevelopment
Text: Claudia Andrade
@cauvic2
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