Fiscal austerity may be forcing some countries to cut spending
on foreign aid, but this isn’t the case everywhere. In fact,
Brazil has actually tripled its official aid budget over the
last two years, and according to the Guardian, the South
American country is quickly becoming a leader in aid to the
developing world. Brazilian generosity is helping to offset
falling donations from other countries, says The Economist. A
study by Oxfam that appeared in Newsweek found that between 2008
and 2009, foreign aid from wealthy nations decreased by $3.5
billion. But a table in The Economist shows that through a
combination of programs and loans to developing countries,
Brazil’s 2010 contributions could total around $4 billion,
though this figure includes involvement by private contractors.
And Brazil's status as a country that can empathize with
developing nations gives it an advantage when designing aid
programs. For example, The Economist points out that Brazil can
help other countries design successful tropical agri