Blairo Maggi

Blairo Maggi
Member of the Federal Senate from Mato Grosso
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2011 Serving with Jayme Campos, Pedro Taques
Governor of Mato Grosso
In office 1 January 2003 – 31 March 2010
Preceded by	Rogério Salles
Succeeded by	Silval Barbosa
Personal details
Born	(1956-05-29) May 29, 1956 São Miguel do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil
Political party	Party of the Republic Popular Socialist Party
Spouse(s)	Terezinha
Children	Belisa, Ticiane e André
Alma mater	Federal University of Paraná

Blairo Borges Maggi (born 29 May 1956 in São Miguel do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil) is a soy plantation farmer and former governor of the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. He graduated from Federal University of Paraná, majoring in agronomy.

Maggi also owns the Amaggi Group, a large company that harvests, processes, and exports soybeans. The Maggi group is also involved in the infrastructure projects that are necessary to sustain the soy industry, notably soy terminals, highways, and waterways.

Maggi is the world’s largest soyabean producer.^[1] His accusers hold him responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. His defenders say he is taking Brazil forward. In this respect he is unapologetic, telling the New York Times in 2003:^[2] "To me, a 40 percent increase in deforestation doesn't mean anything at all, and I don't feel the slightest guilt over what we are doing here [...] We're talking about an area larger than Europe that has barely been touched, so there is nothing at all to get worried about".

Maggi received the Golden Chainsaw Award in 2006 from Greenpeace for being the Brazilian who most contributed to the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest.^[3]

In 2014, Maggi’s net worth is estimated by American magazine Forbes at $960 million, based on his 17% stake in Grupo Andre Maggi.

References