Our Work

Environment

Brazil is home to 30 percent of the world’s remaining tropic forests and 60 percent of the Amazon forest is in Brazil.  USAID’s environment program in Brazil supports biodiversity conservation, primarily in the Brazilian Amazon region, by slowing the rate of deforestation and unsustainable use of natural resources.  USAID activities also help  to mitigate climate change by supporting the Brazilian government’s efforts to decrease land degradation and deforestation.  Our environment strategy takes advantage of emerging opportunities to work with land owners and farmers to ensure that products (especially soy and beef) are produced in an environmentally sustainable way. We also  support civil society and indigenous groups to conserve forests on productive lands that provide social, economic, and environmental benefits.

Health

USAID’s health program focuses on two infectious diseases: tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. These infirmities affect the well-being and productivity of Brazilians, especially among low income people. Working closely with the Ministry of Health, civil society, and local institutions, USAID has helped to develop  joint responses to these public health priorities. USAID is expanding the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course Strategy (DOTS) in areas with the highest burden of tuberculosis in Brazil and combating the multidrug resistant forms of the disease. The Agency is also diversifying strategies to expand access to HIV testing and counseling, and improving coordination between TB and HIV/AIDS programs in order to address TB/HIV co-infection.

Partnerships

USAID supports the development of partnerships between businesses, governments, and civil society organizations that promote sustainable development, with a focus on the Amazon region. USAID helped create the Mais Unidos Group, a partnership between the U.S. Embassy and American companies established in Brazil. The main objective of the group is to promote the exchange of best practices and experiences in corporate social responsibility, foster joint partnerships, and increase the visibility of participants.

Trilateral Cooperation

In March 2010, the U.S. Government and the Government of Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote trilateral cooperation between the two countries for development assistance in third countries. USAID is leveraging Brazilian experience and expertise in implementing successful food security programs through joint implementation of a school feeding program and a small scale horticulture project in Mozambique.  In 2012, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and USAID jointly extended the development of trilateral cooperation activities to two new countries: Haiti and Honduras. In Haiti, trilateral cooperation activities will be directed to capacity building and technical assistance to local farmers in seed selection, harvesting and post-harvesting technologies.  In Honduras, the program will pilot productive uses of renewable energy sources applied to agriculture.

Youth Employment

Unemployment among the Brazilian youth is 15 percent. These adolescents face social, economic and educational difficulties that limit their ability to secure formal employment. Given the high standards required by the job market, many of these youth abandon school in search of work in the informal economy. In addition, the lack of foreign language capability impedes students from attaining well-paying jobs and causes concern for companies seeking a qualified professional workforce. Through private sector funding, USAID helps youth from disadvantaged communities develop job skills so that they can avoid chronic unemployment. The youth employment program has been particularly successful at forming partnerships with the private sector and encouraging companies to employ disadvantaged youth.