Bolsonaro at Davos

During a brief speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Jair Bolsonaro prompted fresh alarm among environmentalists after stressing that protecting his country’s unique ecosystem has to be consistent with economic growth. “Agriculture makes up no more than 9% of our territory and has grown thanks to technology and the hard work of farmers,” he said. “No other country in the world has as many forests as we do.”

Without addressing the risks that a go-for-growth strategy would pose to the Amazon region, Bolsonaro used his first overseas trip since taking office to outline a strong pro-business agenda. He also claimed that Brazil is the country that protects the environment the most.