Summary

Agriculture – Agribusiness continues to account for a sizable share of the trade balance and to mitigate a falling Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The figures speak for themselves. In 2014, the sector’s GDP reached R$ 1.178 trillion, or 21.34% of national GDP, while its exports amounted to US$ 96.74 billion, or 42.97% of total foreign trade, at US$ 225.10 billion. In 2015 this has not been different.

Economy – The Brazilian farming tools and machinery industry offers technologically advanced products that are quite tailored to the needs of rural companies, yet this feature has not been sufficient to keep the sector from facing a decrease in sales. In the first semester of 2015 alone, revenues slipped by 25%.

Succeeding – Reports by individuals who left behind extreme poverty and hardship show that nothing is impossible when will outweighs the vicissitudes of life. And the secret is almost always related to prevailing ideas that are pursued with keen interest and passion. The right is granted to all of dreaming; however, moving from conjectures to accomplishment definitely depends on the will to get there.

Computing – Based on the classic criterion laid down by the United Nations (UN) of an average of 4 to 5 residents per household, it has been estimated that in Brazil there are some 120 million home users of the Internet, practically three times the population of Argentina and twice the number of inhabitants of the United Kingdom and France.

Cities – There are only 17 streets, two squares, one avenue, and one alley, a setting that will easily fit into a single postcard. Serra da Saudade, in the state of Minas Gerais, with just 822 inhabitants, is the smallest city in Brazil, its economic strength based on cattle ranching and subsistence farming.

Labor – The number of Brazilians who continue working after retirement, practically a necessity given the amount they start earning and their actual financial needs, is growing. A broad survey conducted by bank HSBC showed that the inhabitants of the land discovered by Cabral do not prepare themselves adequately for retirement, despite their being clearly aware of the importance of doing so.

Dentistry – It is no news to anyone that, for decades, the Brazilian population has been suffering from a lack of dental care. However, even if just steadily, this picture seems to be changing. It has been reported that, today, 65,547 dentists are associated with the [government-sponsored] Single Health System (SUS, from the Portuguese Sistema Único de Saúde).

Interview – Fernando José Gomes Landgraf, president of the São Paulo-based Institute for Technological Research, reports that this important innovation center, founded in 1899 and one of the country’s most respected institutes, receives from the government of the state of São Paulo about 30% of its annual budget, estimated at R$ 150 million. The rest comes from services delivered to companies and public agencies across Brazil.

History – Dom Peter II’s mountain refuge during most of his rule, an impressive building in Petrópolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, transformed into the Imperial Museum in 1943, is the most visited of the 29 establishments grouped around the Brazilian Institute of Museums (Ibram, from the Portuguese Instituto Brasileiro de Museus). The ancient building welcomed 342,000 people last year, including visitors to the palace and those participating in activities outside the building.

Health – Research shows that migraine affects 15% of the Brazilian population and good part of those afflicted by this disease are women. The explanation for the higher rates among women, a phenomenon also confirmed in other countries, is based on genetics, hormonal fluctuation, and on stress.

Culture – He bequeathed to the country 20 comedies, some of which are still performed to great success, like the Novice, the most celebrated and one of his funniest. To Luís Carlos Martins Pena, or just Martins Pena, born in 1815, we owe the consolidation of drama in Brazil.

Memory – In October Brazil celebrates the centennial of dictionary writer, lexicographer, and philologist Antônio Houaiss (born in 1915, died in 1999), who dedicated his whole life to teaching and structuring the Portuguese language. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, he left 19 books, among which stand out the Orthographic Vocabulary of the Portuguese Language and the Houaiss Dictionary of the Portuguese Language.

Books – De Volta à Escola: Porque todos Merecem uma Segunda Chance na Educação (Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education), released by publishing company Editora Senac São Paulo and Senac Nacional, targets professionals in the field of education, educators, pedagogues, teachers and people willing to resume their studies, in short, all those interested in learning more about adult education.

Thematic panels – International law expert Welber Oliveira Barral discussed the hardships and barriers faced by Brazilian exporters at a meeting held by the Economics, Sociology and Politics Council of the São Paulo State Federation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism, and of Sesc and Senac.
On another date at the same council, economist Sérgio Giovanetti Lazzarini discussed the peculiar situation of Brazilian capitalism, as it maintains, however disguised, state control over private companies.