Rio, 9/26/2003 (Agencia Brasil - ABr) – Marcos Palmeira, a popular TV actor, who has a farm near Teresópolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, says that he is in favor of the production of organic food for the government's Zero Hunger program that is grown without chemical additives. Palmeira said that the production of organic food was self-sustaining. "It is demagogy to give people food baskets. What we need to do is turn these people into farmers," he said.

Palmeira made his remarks at the BioFach, the world's biggest organic food conference and fair, where he is exhibiting produce along with some 800 other farmers. Among other things the actor grows fruits, vegetables and herbs. He also has dairy products.

"Brazil could become a great exporter of organic food. But at the moment that would be a contradiction because there are so many hungry people in the country," said the actor. (AB)