Brazil currently has capacity to produce just 0.6% of the country’s energy needs but it expects this to increase to 3.5% by 2013 with the expectation that by 2022 it will be able to meet 20% of the country’s energy needs.

The federal government here established the Incentive Program for Alternative Sources of Electric Energy back in 2004 with the aim of establishing wind energy in Brazil. As wind energy began to be produced new regulations were brought in which determined the market price, and Brazil currently has 50 wind farms with another 90 planned which are mainly financed by the Brazilian Development Bank.

The immediate attraction has to be that it is a clean and renewable energy source and it is also the ideal complement to the hydroelectric energy industry. This is because Brazil has very strong winds during the dry spells meaning that it is able to produce energy at precisely the time when the hydroelectric plants produce less.

The industry is also creating new jobs, many of which are indirect. It will also help stimulate the economy in the regions where the wind farms are located as the owners of the land can expect a share of the revenue. For a rapidly growing country such as Brazil whose energy needs will increase over the next few years, it seems very wise that they should be investing in this cheap and renewable source.

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Right now, the Brazilian economy seems to have the world at its feet; everything points to strong growth over the short, mid and even over the long term, with oil pouring into the economy for at least the next 50 years.

Before Brazil discovered oil in 2006 it already had one of the largest agricultural sectors in the world, and a rapidly growing services sector, both of which would make it an economic force to be reckoned with. The discovery of the Tupi oil field, the largest western hemisphere oil discovery in 30 years obviously boosted Brazilian economic growth massively, and experts now predict that Brazil will be the 5th largest economy in the world in the next 50 years.

On top of that it is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Right now, after one of the shortest recessions inflicted by the global crisis, the Brazilian economy is growing rapidly, unemployment is at 7.4% and falling and affluence is growing rapidly. Growing employment, affluence and most importantly confidence, is creating an increasingly aspirational population; they want to buy homes and their demand is outstripping supply by at least 70,000.

Because of this shortage of affordable housing for Brazilians, this is widely regarded as being the hot investment tip with regards Brazilian property. This is not a new thing, but what is a new thing is the availability of affordable Brazilian housing on the international market. This changed with the Edificio Dr Geraldo Furtado development.

Located in the Petrobis district of central Natal, — one of the most exclusive locations in Brazil and home to many wealthy individuals — Dr Geraldo Furtado offers 2 bedroom apartments from just £53,000. This is 20% below market value. The building has 26 floors, of which 22 are luxury residential floors, 3 are underground parking, staff quarters, reception and 1 service area. You will find a selection of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with sizes between 55m2 and 99m2.

These apartments are aimed specifically at the local market; foreigners buying now will enjoy high occupancy from those coming to live in and work in Natal, not least because it is located near the business district, and will also stand to make a strong capital growth when it is time to sell. In five years time the aspirational population will almost certainly be falling over each other to buy such high quality properties for twice the price we can offer them at now.

Brazil is one of the few emerging countries in the world today who do not need injections of funds from the IMF. This is a complete reversal of Brazil’s position just four years ago. As recently as 2005, Brazil was a debtor with the IMF when three years after Lula was elected president for the first time, he made the decision to pay off the country’s pending debt. The turnaround from debtor to creditor is a firm indication of Brazil’s strong economic position.

“Brazil currently has a privileged position because it does not need the IMF,” said Gustavo Loyola, former President of the Central Bank. Political analysts believe that the US$10 billion contribution will give Brazil substantially more standing in international politics.

Lula has already brought Brazil into the global limelight and has worked hard at raising his country’s profile. US President, Barack Obama, met Lula for the first time recently and paid him what many consider the ultimate compliment. “This is my man, the most popular politician on earth,” Obama reportedly said on shaking hands with the Brazilian premier.

“Brazil has one of the strongest economy’s today,” says Loxley McKenzie, Managing Director at Colordarcy, “and the latest developments prove that this is a country with a strong financial future and economic model.”

The Brazilian leader called Obama’s election, the first black in the US history to become president, “an extraordinary achievement”. He stressed that the president elect is “a person who has demonstrated political skill”.

Lula said he hopes that Obama will have a stronger connection with Latin America and Africa and in special with South America and Brazil. “I hope that Obama has a policy more geared to the productive development in Latin America”, Lula told journalists in Bras?a this Wednesday, November 5, 2008, after a ceremony to celebrate the 20 years of the Brazilian latest Constitution.

And the continued “I have no doubt that on the part of Brazil we are going to continue building this productive partnership that we have with the USA. And I hope that it can improve with the Obama administration”.

Lula asked for an end to the subsidies that Washington gives to American producers – a core issue in the negotiations on global trade – as well as an end to the US embargo to Cuba, imposed to the island in the 60s. “There is no explanation in the history of mankind for the blockade to Cuba”, argued Lula.

The Brazilian president also talked about the Israelis and their Arab neighbours: “I hope he is able to finally reach a peace agreement in the Middle East, because for decades this has been tried and it hasn’t succeeded”.

Later in the day, Lula came back to the US election subject and commented: “We, Brazilians, are after Nigeria the second largest black nation in the world and we need to be optimistic, hopeful and have much pride, because it is not small potatoes to elect a black president of the United States. As Brazilians we are happy with the election. And we will be even happier if the US relations get better with our subcontinent”.

The president of Brazil’s Supreme Court, Gilmar Mendes, called Obama’s victory “a special moment”. However, he warned that “campaign is something and management, administration is something else”. “It is fundamental that there are definitions, especially at this time in the world economy”, added Mendes.

The IMF is predicting that the economy in Brazil will grow 3.5% next year, which is down a bit from recent years when it has been between 5% and 6%. Mr. Strauss-Kahn said that “Brazil is an economy in good shape. But even in good shape, the effect of the downturn in global growth will have consequences.”

The property market in Brazil is in better shape than much of the country, according to reports. The northeast coast of the country is particularly well off and should see continued growth, with cities there experiencing tremendous growth and interest in property from both domestic and international buyers.

Anoop Singh, Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, praised countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Brazil. “Policy makers in the region remain on very high alert to dealing with the current shocks as well as additional risks such as volatile commodity prices,” Mr. Singh said. With a good economy and strong economic policies, these countries will do better than many in 2009.

The Brazilian president said his country has more than USD 200b in reserves and is afforded a measure of protection from turbulence in the world’s financial markets. He drew a sharp contrast between Brazil’s current situation and its position last decade.

“Just imagine if the crisis had happened 10 years ago. Then, a sneeze in the United States’ real estate crisis would have caused pneumonia in Brazil,” Lula said.

“We want it to be that Brazil is the best known tourism destination in the international market,” explained Jeanine Pires, the president of Embratur, responsible for the promotion of Brazil. “Therefore, the focus of our campaign is just to emphasize the diversity of Brazilian tourism.”

After the US launch, Brazilian officials travelled to the UK to kick off its European promotional tour. Flanked by Luiz Felipe Scolari, manager of English football side Chelsea, the launch attracted 150 tour operators, journalists and government officials.

“In the European bloc, the United Kingdom stands out among the regions that are increasing the number of annual visits to Brazil and in our promotional strategy, is put as one of the in the highest priorities,” added Pires.

According to Embratur, 177,000 Brits travelled to the country in 2007 and its goal is to increase this to 300,000 by 2010.

Alongside the US and UK, the advertising will be run across a variety of media in: Canada, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and Italy. Each of them will be an adaptation of the campaign according to their characteristics and knowledge about Brazil.