My guest today is Paulo Maximiano Junqueira Neto, 61 years old, from Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo. Son of Manoel Maximiano Junqueira, lawyer and agribusinessman, and Maria Lilia Silva da Cruz Junqueira, teacher. He grew up in a large family, with siblings who pursued careers in law, engineering, and agronomy.
Paulo is a lawyer graduated from UNAERP since 1987. Throughout his career, he has participated in legal and technical courses and seminars related to law and agribusiness. He is also married to Taicia Fofanoff Junqueira, and together they form their family with children Manoela, André, and Júlia.
Paulo is a lawyer, rural producer and entrepreneur (with emphasis on sugarcane), and civil construction entrepreneur. President of the Sindicato Rural de Ribeirão Preto (SRRP), the Associação Rural de Ribeirão Preto (ARRP), and ASSOVALE – Associação Rural Vale do Rio Pardo.
AG – During your adolescence, did you ever imagine being in the position you’re in today?
PJ – Yes. I grew up in a work and service environment — in my father’s office and in the field — and from an early age I internalized two pillars: responsibility and protagonism. I didn’t know the details of the path, but the vocation to lead and build was there from a very young age.
AG – Still in your childhood, which artists influenced you that have now lost relevance with the digital revolution and the advent of the internet?
PJ – I was more influenced by family examples and the rural world than by artists. The digital revolution changed the way we communicate, but my references have always been work, ethics, and commitment — values that never “go out of style”.
AG – After years of learning, becoming a recognized professional in your field brings you work advantages to opine on other areas/companies in the sector?
PJ – It brings responsibility, above all else. Recognition obliges me to study more and to dialogue with technicians, producers, and policymakers, connecting the legal, the productive, and risk management. This opens doors for practical advice and builds bridges between areas.
AG – Among your productive habits during the week, are there precepts you adapted and incorporated into your routine that you now recommend to your collaborators and younger colleagues?
PJ – I would list three: daily discipline (clear agenda, defined priorities), presence in the field and at entities — nothing replaces active listening to the producer — and lastly, recording and monitoring indicators (costs, productivity, risks). This combination provides predictability and reduces “guesswork”.
AG – What is your overview of Brazil’s economic situation over the last 20, 10, and 5 years?
PJ – In 20 years, the country went through cycles of expansion and crises; agribusiness sustained much of the trade balance and drove regional chains. In 10 years, we faced recession, pandemic, and adjustments; even so, the countryside preserved competitiveness. In 5 years, the resilience of agro became even more evident, but bottlenecks in logistics, legal security, and cost of capital remain brakes on broader growth.
AG – Among the various difficulties and opportunities you encountered throughout your career in agribusiness, the most profitable sector in Brazil, does it help you understand the country’s social situation? What are your plans to contribute to the inclusion of youth and more women in the sector?
PJ – It helps, because agro is an “antenna” of real Brazil: jobs in the interior, local income, and impact on services. For inclusion, I prioritize three fronts: technical training and internships on farms and entities, female entrepreneurship, and planned succession in rural families, plus first-job programs focused on agricultural technology and workplace safety.
AG – Your daily and active participation with agro economic statistics delivers a variety of growth opportunities. In your opinion, how will agribusiness remain strong in the coming years – according to your field of activity?
PJ – In sugarcane, with three vectors: agronomic productivity (varieties, management, and efficient mechanization), bioenergy and bioproducts (ethanol, bioelectricity, biomethane), and contracts and governance (price and weather risk management). Those who execute these pillars well remain competitive.
AG – According to your experience, on a global level, does agro face challenges in communicating its importance to the world in the impact of the entire production chain?
PJ – Yes. The distance between field and city creates noise. We need to communicate science, traceability, and environmental compliance in simple language, showing how the producer complies with rules and delivers food security with sustainability — data, not slogans.
AG – How to convince society that agro is not the main responsible for global warming? What news or headline should be debunked for having falsely harmed the sector?
PJ – We need to separate cases of illegality — which must be curbed — from the reality of the vast majority who work within the law. Good practices, crop-livestock-forest integration, and maintenance of permanent preservation areas are part of daily life. The “headline” to debunk is the generalization that criminalizes every producer: it misinforms, hinders dialogue, and doesn’t help the environment.
AG – Is the popularity of rural producers at risk and what are the reasons for the demonization of the ruralist composition?
PJ – There is risk when debate turns into caricature. The producer is affected by expensive credit, weather, pests, freight, and exchange rates — technical issues. When we reduce this to ideological labels, we erase what really improves people’s lives: productivity with responsibility.
AG – What are the biggest names in Brazilian agribusiness that influenced your life and which main ones in the world made you change your vision and dynamics to explore the path?
PJ – My greatest reference has always been family and producers from the Ribeirão Preto region, who have quietly built results for decades. Globally, I admire those who integrate innovation, efficiency, and environmental respect into daily life, turning properties into centers of excellence.
AG – The common thread of agribusiness success is the economy; Do you think it’s possible for Brazil to lose purchasing power and go through an economic recession? How can Brazil shield itself from a food crisis?
PJ – It’s possible, and that’s why we need predictability. Shielding comes from: regulatory stability, logistics that reduce Brazil cost, rural credit and agricultural insurance with technical design, and legal security on land, contracts, and licensing.
AG – If you could create some social rules that favor the productive dynamics of agribusiness and the Brazilian people, what would your bill proposals be?
PJ – Three priorities: rural insurance framework, agile, digital, and technical environmental licensing, and infrastructure package (railways/ports/storage) with binding schedules and targets per logistics corridor.
AG– Among the various attitudes that accelerate Brazil’s growth, what is the greatest contribution this generation can deliver that will impact the next 30 years?
PJ: Transform good practice into standard: data-driven management, low-carbon bioeconomy, and technical education in the interior. This keeps people in the territory with income and dignity.
AG – If you could choose a Brazilian city to live in until your last day, which one would it be and why?
PJ – Ribeirão Preto. It’s where my roots, my family, my history in law and the field are — and where I continue contributing through the entities I preside: the Sindicato Rural de Ribeirão Preto, the Associação Rural de Ribeirão Preto, and ASSOVALE, which are references in proactivity, morality, and commitment to the rural producer. These values have accompanied me since the beginning of my career, which are reflected in the entities I represent.
ARYANE GARCIA
Journalist
@aryanegarcia