The food and agriculture industry in Brazil is one of the country’s most important economic sectors, generating over 21 percent of GDP. Companies play a central role in generating revenue and jobs at the local level in particular, making them privileged interlocutors with local authorities with significant potential for transforming local realities. The Brazilian food and agriculture industry also plays a significant role in achieving food security internationally.

The Global Compact Network Brazil launched a principles-based anti-corruption Collective Action initiative in February 2021, with funding from the Siemens Integrity Initiative Third Funding Round. It comprised, at its launch, a dozen companies in three sectors: food and beverage; chemicals; sugar and ethanol.

The main objectives are:

• Change the culture and the reputation of the food and agriculture sector, domestically and internationally;
• Promote a cleaner business environment within the companies, as well as throughout their supply and logistic chains, through improved practices and regulations;
• Incentivise integrity in public-private relationships;
• Raise awareness of anticorruption Collective Action initiatives in the country;
• Protect the sector as a whole as well as each company and each employee from potential corruption and bribery cases in settings with scarce transparency and accountability mechanisms;
• Ultimately level the playing field.