São Paulo, the largest agribusiness city in Brazil, celebrates 465 years

January 25th is the anniversary of the city of São Paulo, the largest in the country in agribusiness. The foundation for agribusiness came from Harvard University, in the United States, with the term 'Agribusiness', and in Brazil, from the University of São Paulo (USP), with the Agroindustrial Sector Studies Program (PENSA). We studied and learned alongside the pioneer of the subject in Brazil, Ney Bittencourt de Araújo, founder of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG).

Agribusiness is before the farm gates, with science and technology; it is within the gates of agriculture itself; and goes far beyond the farm gates with logistics, transport, telecommunications, commerce, storage, restaurants, supermarkets and agribusiness, where value is added to raw materials produced in the field.

When we include this entire agro-industrial complex, commerce, services, education, communication and decision-making with stock markets, the financial system and trading companies, we have the city of São Paulo as one of the largest in the world in agribusiness. The country's agricultural business passes through it.

In São Paulo, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Coffee Valorization Plan emerged. Businessmen from São Paulo transformed the weight of this commodity into a valorization plan. It was a watershed moment in Brazilian commercial intelligence.

The first economics school, Fecap, was created in São Paulo in 1902, where its founder wrote: “In addition to knowing how to produce agricultural goods, we need to teach and learn the art of trade”. Without a doubt, it was one of the first statements about agribusiness in Brazilian history.

A school was also created that gave rise to the city of São Paulo, founded by the Jesuits Manoel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta. They built a shed on top of a hill between the Anhangabaú and Tamanduateí rivers. Jesuits are courageous people, and they built the Colégio de São Paulo in a noble area, with waters, rivers and lands that were excellent for agriculture. Today it has become industry, commerce and services in the Agribusiness System.

That's why I say, congratulations São Paulo: the largest agribusiness city in the country.