Global Trends in Brazil, Research Paper Example

There are many areas in Brazil which are affected by numerous global and regional trends. Initial research showed that there is a danger in Brazil’s fertility and mortality rates and it is not only a major health issue, but it is affecting the economy drastically (Agosin, French-Davis, 1995). However, the global and regional trends which will be identified are the following: (1) Demographics, (2) Natural resources and environment, (3) Science and Technology, (4) Globalization and the global economy, and (5) Non-profit organizations, specifically the United Nations.

Demographics in Brazil are expected to increase from 190 million to over 250 million people by the year 2050 (Ismail, 2006). Brazil’s economy can be divided into three different sections, these are classes A and B which is on top of the pyramid, consisting of 15% of the Brazilian population according to a survey conducted in 2007 by Euro monitor. The middle class is C, which consists of 46% of the population, which rose since 2005 when it was just 34%. The last two classes are D and E, which constitutes 39% of Brazil’s overall population, which went down from 51% in 2005 (Ismail, 2006).  This change in demographics has affected the purchasing power of the middle class in Brazil. This is seen as a result of rising incomes, the Bolsa Familia program, available credit, and the strengthening of Brazil’s currency as compared to the United States dollar. Because of this rise in income, the Brazilian population is seen buying cars and commercial goods more often than before. This comes with a rise in major developments such as car distributors, oil refineries, etc.

Brazil’s forest area in Brazil, which is managed under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is around 2.6 million acres as of 2002. During this time, the FSC was granted 16 forest parcels of Brazil’s natural resources. Additionally, FSC’s certification has given the organization a “Chain-of-Custody” certification for 95 private companies in Brazil This includes the processing of lumber, logs and charcoal. Also, the manufacturing of wood, the finishing of the goods, and the manufacturing of food as well as cosmetics products made from resources found in Brazil’s forests (Ismail, 2006). This has greatly affected Brazil’s trade industry in the manufacturing and development of the lumber and forestry industry.

Just last year, Liderroll, which is a private company in Brazil offered engineering solutions for the construction industry. The company provided service in several departments, these included: Refining and engineering, exploration and production, and other required engineering solutions. Liderroll is a unique engineering company in Brazil which offers permanent solutions in construction and the industrial process. Liderrol is registered in over 50 different countries and is Brazil’s own patented service provider in the areas of engineering and construction. The recent technologies developed by Liderrol have changed the industry dramatically and is creating more employment for Brazilians and helping Brazil’s economy through science and technology (Ismail, 2006).

Brazil’s participation in the internet market in 2008 shows that the country has a strong preference in local content; this gives local providers an opportunity in shares like MSN and Google. The opportunity for a richer experience on-line with things such as video streaming and music downloads have grown in Brazil along with broadband penetration. Recent trends are showing that Brazil’s consumers are becoming more and more comfortable with making online purchases (Ismail, 2006). BRASSCOM shows that Brazil is currently the leader in providing Java programmers. Over the years, Brazil’s on-line population has grown by 27% since 2008 which is above the worldwide average. Brazilians are also said to be more likely to use Social Networking web sites and Blogs more than the global internet average. On-line shopping has also increased, showing that Brazilians do love to shop, and this is evident in the above average statistics of Brazil in purchasing consumer electronics. Brazil currently has a law which encourages the software industry in where a company can avoid paying taxes if a certain software is made and developed in Brazil (Ismail, 2006). This is used to market towards multinationals which operate in Brazil; in turn it lowers the tax burden on Brazilians and it helps software development within the country. This law is a form of a trade barrier which is designed to help the local industry develop.

The United Nations has developed a program in Brazil, “Drug Abuse Prevention in the Workplace”, this was done in partnership with a Brazilian state agency. It is supposed to help Brazil’s labor market and working environment (Lafer, 2000). The program sets to asses all substance abuse within companies, after which they categorize employees into three categories:

• Green: people who are healthy
• Yellow: people who have problems with alcohol and drug abuse
• Red: people who need immediate special treatment

All the categories have specially designed activities to help workers as well as the working environment. Categorizing people this way helps Brazilian companies in their human resource management, in a way where they know how to deal with their employees better, as well as how to face problems within the workplace concerning health, or drug and alcohol abuse. These programs are aimed to help families of the workers also in a strive to develop a better work ethic standard in Brazil (Ismail, 2006).

There is an estimated one dollar which is invested in the “Drug Abuse Prevention in the Workplace” program which is worth around $15 in increase of worker productivity. This also means that workers are ensured a healthy and fruitful life (Lafer, 2000).

References

Agosin, M.R., French-Davis, R.F. (1995). Trade Liberalization and Growth: Recent Experiences in Latin America. Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, 37(3); 9.

Ismail, S. (2006) Information and Communications for Development 2006: Global Trends and Policies. Federal Communications Law Journal 59(1); 237.

Lafer, C. (2000). Brazilian International Identity and Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future. Daedalus 129(2); 207.