, Columnist
When Brazilians Can’t Afford Steak, Peak Beef Is Nearing
The economic damage from Covid-19 is revealing the limits to cattle expansion and consumption.
Brazilian steaks increasingly end up on Chinese plates.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty
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For a sign of how much the coronavirus is upending economies across the globe, try this for size: Even Brazilians are finding it hard to afford their daily ration of beef.
With 1.1 million people sick from Covid-19 compounding the problems of an economy that’s seen unemployment in double digits for four years, consumption of beef is likely to fall 10% this year, Fabiana Batista and Tatiana Freitas of Bloomberg News reported this week.