How can government policies move towards increasing agricultural innovation and improving productivity? This OECD conference shared case studies and ideas from Europe, China, United States, India, Africa, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.

This note is taken from Chapter 2 of Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2012.

Brazil boasts one of the largest increases in expenditure on education between 2000 and 2009 among the countries for which data was available.

Tax revenues in Latin American countries are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries, but are rising slowly. Revenue Statistics in Latin America shows that the average tax revenue to GDP ratio in the 15 Latin American countries covered by the report increased from 19% in 2009 to 19.4% in 2010, after falling from a high point of 19.7% in 2008.

En países latinoamericanos, la población crece a un ritmo mayor que el promedio mundial, lo cual intensifica el uso de la tierra y aumenta la urbanización. La región también es propensa a los impactos negativos del cambio climático y de los desastres naturales.

In Latin American and Caribbean countries the population is growing faster than the world average, intensifying land use and increasing urbanisation. The region is also prone to the negative impact of climate change and natural disasters, putting further pressure on natural resources.

These country notes profile public sector human resource practices and policies, covering issues including legal frameworks; age and gender composition of workers; public sector restructuring; management practices; industrial relations and reforms.

The OECD’s new Public Governance Review of Brazil’s Supreme Audit Institution – the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) – assesses the governance arrangements for the external audit of the Accounts of the President of the Republic. The report includes proposals to strengthen the positive impact of the audit on the executive and legislature’s decision making and to encourage public transparency, accountability, and debate.

Brazil’s supreme audit institution – the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) – has began a process to reform its audit of the Accounts of the President of the Republic to enhance transparency and accountability of federal budget execution.

Gains in female education attainment have contributed to a worldwide increase in women’s participation in the labour force, but considerable gaps remain in working hours, conditions of employment and earnings.  More specific data for Brazil are available in this country note.

Brazil’s economic growth has been supported in recent years by important government investment and social programmes that mobilise resources across the country. These programmes could help Brazil to meet its goals of sustaining economic growth and fostering social development, while reducing regional disparities.

Nos últimos anos, o crescimento econômico do Brasil teve o apoio de importantes investimentos e programas sociais do governo, que mobilizaram recursos em todo o país. Esses programas podem ajudar o Brasil a atingir seus objetivos de crescimento econômico sustentado e promover o desenvolvimento social, reduzindo as disparidades regionais.

This report provides a detailed diagnosis of the youth labour market and education system in Brazil. It takes an international comparative perspective, offering policy options to help improve school-to-work transitions. It also provides an opportunity for other countries to learn from the innovative measures that Brazil has taken to strengthen the skills of youth and their employment outcomes.

Education at a Glance 2013 - Country notes and key fact tables

This publication assesses the impact of previous competition law and policy reviews in nine Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru. This report was discussed during the 2012 annual meeting of the OECD-IDB Latin American Competition Forum held in the Dominican Republic.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has released peer review reports assessing the tax systems of 13 jurisdictions for information exchange.

After a decade of relatively strong growth, Latin America is facing headwinds associated with declining trade, a moderation in commodity prices and increasing uncertainty over external financial conditions, according to the latest Latin American Economic Outlook jointly produced by the OECD Development Centre, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) and CAF - Development Bank of Latin America.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will present two new major publications on Brazil during news conferences on 22 October in Brasilia. He will also hold a series of high-level meetings with Brazilian government officials.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, will be in Brasilia on 21-22 October 2013 to present the OECD Economic Survey of Brazil and hold meetings with several Ministers.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría today welcomed Brazil’s further engagement with the Organisation’s world-leading global education assessment programme (PISA) during a signing ceremony in Brasilia with Brazil’s Minister for Education Aloízio Mercadante.

Brazil’s strong economic growth has helped cut the youth unemployment rate over the past decade to levels below those of most OECD countries. Increased investment in education and vocational training is also helping young people get a foot in the jobs market, according to a new OECD report.

Brazil has moved up the ranks of the world’s largest economies while making economic growth ever more inclusive.

Carbon taxes and emission trading systems are the most cost-effective means of reducing CO2 emissions, and should be at the centre of government efforts to tackle climate change,according to a new OECD study.

OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2013 country notes

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. To date, students representing more than 70 economies have participated in the assessment.

Brazil has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty and inequality. This reduction is explained by strong growth but also by effective social policies. Besides growth, public services and cash transfers have played the biggest role, the latter notably through the successful "Bolsa Familia" programme.

Tax revenues in Latin American countries continue to rise but are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries. Revenue Statistics in Latin America 2012 shows that Argentina and Brazil have the highest tax revenue to GDP ratio, while Guatemala and Dominican Republic stand at the lower end.

Hoje, a OCDE lança no Brasil, e na presença da lenda do futebol Pelé, o Índice para uma Vida Melhor totalmente em português. Este é o sexto idioma em que o site está disponível e a tradução permite que a OCDE alcance mais de 240 milhões de falantes de português ao redor do mundo.

Today, the OECD launched the Portuguese version of its Better Life Index in Brazil with football legend Pelé. The Portuguese version is the site’s 6th language edition, enabling the OECD to reach over 240 million Portuguese speakers across the globe.

Country notes highlight some key findings from TALIS 2013 for individual countries and economies

Public investment in education has sharply increased since 2000 and is now one of the highest among OECD and partner countries. In 2011, the Brazilian government spent 19% of its total expenditure on education, which is well above the OECD average of 13%, and is the fourth highest among all OECD and partner countries with available data.

Country notes with main key findings of the book and key fact tables: a customised snapshot of a country's educational environment, highlighting the most important issues in the educational landscape.

A moderate expansion is underway in most major advanced and emerging economies, but growth remains weak in the euro area, which runs the risk of prolonged stagnation if further steps are not taken to boost demand, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment.

The unemployment rate in Brazil continues its downward trend, despite a slowdown in GDP growth. At 4.9% (for urban areas), Brazil’s unemployment rate is considerably below the OECD average of 7.4%.

Brazil must build on the positive momentum started with its new Corporate Liability Law and its first indictments in one foreign bribery case to investigate and prosecute more proactively foreign bribery.

Going for Growth 2015: Key findings for Brazil

Low oil prices and monetary easing are boosting growth in the world’s major economies, but the near-term pace of expansion remains modest, withabnormally low inflation and interest rates pointing to risks of financial instability, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment.

Water resources allocation determines who is able to use water resources, how, when and where. Capturing information from 27 OECD countries and key partner economies, the report presents key findings from the OECD Survey of Water Resources Allocation and case studies of successful allocation reform.

Taxes on wages have risen by about 1 percentage point for the average worker in OECD countries between 2010 and 2014 even though the majority of governments did not increase statutory income tax rates, according to a new OECD report.

“What is the city but the people?” asked Shakespeare in Coriolanus. All city planning focuses on people and the quality of life. The big cities in Brazil took shape from the 1950s, when the country’s population amounted to approximately 52 million inhabitants, only 36.2% of whom lived in cities.

Our collaboration with Brazil began more than 20 years ago. Since then, Brazil’s participation has grown and highlights the importance that Brazil attaches to helping lead – and shape – the OECD’s work.

Ministers expressed full support for the OECD’s global relations strategy, as an essential element to increase its impact and relevance. This strategy has been the centrepiece of Secretary-General Angel Gurría’s vision to transform the Organisation into a more inclusive, global policy network and a prime forum for evidence-based policy exchange and global standard setting.

Strong crop yields, higher productivity and slower growth in global demand should contribute to a gradual decline in real prices for agricultural products over the coming decade, but nonetheless, prices will likely remain at levels above those in the early-2000s, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook report produced by the OECD and FAO.

Specific country notes have been prepared using data from the database OECD Health Statistics 2015, July 2015 version. The notes are available in PDF format.

Sustaining high agricultural growth is critical to Brazil's overall development given the importance of agriculture and agro-industries to the national economy and the resource potential that has yet to be exploited.

The recent droughts in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states have exposed the need to shift from crisis management to effective risk governance of the country’s water resources, according to a new OECD report.

s part of ongoing efforts to deepen longstanding ties between the OECD and Brazil, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will conduct an official visit on 3-5 November.

This OECD joint Federação das Indústrias de São Paulo (FIESP) seminar brings together participants from the Brazilian private sector, academia, government authorities, and international experts with one objective: building a positive agenda for Brazil.

The OECD launched today the Programme of Work with Brazil which sets out joint activities for the next two years and will strengthen cooperation between the Organisation and the Brazilian Government.

Brazil has made remarkable social and economic progress in the past two decades, but must now overcome important challenges if it is to put its economy on a stronger, fairer, greener growth trajectory, according to two new reports from the OECD.