In this new geography, Brazil became physically dislocated, differently from the time when we focused only on Europe and the United States. Time zones of up to 13 hours between Brazil and the East, for example, are difficult to live with today, in a globalized world, in a world of immediate communication. Thirty or more flight hours, are also. A whole week travelling to have two working days in-between do not fit anymore in this current world if we intend to be efficient, competitive and dream for some time for ourselves and our families and friends, and that is also another requirement of modern life.

In addition to geographic changes, other changes occur in markets, products, consumer demands, involving product and packaging changes, and new social, environmental, health and wellbeing behaviors. The word LOHAS - Living on Health and Sustainability - was added to the vocabulary and to the behavior of globalized consumers to whom we export 98 percent of our production. Supplying companies and clients had to adapt themselves, and so had Abecitrus, as it is happening or will happen to similar entities worldwide. We have to adjust the sails; there is no time to wait until the wind changes and much less to complain about the wind.

Abecitrus' presence in the press, conferences, seminars and events will be dramatically reduced, and journalists, our friends of so many years, will have more work to do to obtain news from the citrus sector, by directly contacting processing companies or official sources and consultants. Although we will always continue at your disposal - we were reelected as president of Abecitrus for a new four-year term, i.e., until 2012 - our local knowledge will tend to be less updated, replaced by more information on global markets, which we will always be ready to share with you and your target groups and audiences, with authorities and with society. The website will contain permanent information such as the characteristics of oranges, orange juice technology, social agenda of the companies. Historical series of production and exports will be updated at the end of the crop and of the calendar year, and no longer every month. To obtain monthly information, please visit the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of the Development [Secretaria de Comércio Exterior do Ministério do Desenvolvimento] website (www.desenvolvimento.gov.br). Other questions will continue to be answered by Abecitrus either by accessing this website or by email abecitrus@abecitrus.com.br.

These changes reflect the form arrived at to meet the new demands of the international markets - our buyers - to whom we will dedicate almost all our time. This is also the way to maintain Brazilian participation in those markets, learning about and influencing the novelties and stimulating exports of this product that is so important for Brazil - orange juice. And at the right time, other Brazilian fruit juices, since Brazil has many and whose global market share can be increased to substantial volumes, creating more jobs than the 400,000 jobs it has today, and bringing in more foreign currency than the US$2 billion brought into the country by the orange juice industry, supported by thousands of rural producers with long tradition and enviable technological competence, and by internationally renowned scientific researchers.

Passing from the sea to field analogy, Guimarães Rosa, the prestigious and renown Brazilian author born 100 years ago, described in 'Grande Sertão Veredas', a situation where "even horses graze quickly". In today's global and competitive world, those that do not act quickly will have no space. And this is exactly what we are doing - acting quickly.

See you soon.