Key Takeaways
- EY Brazil has agreed to acquire MB Agro, a well-regarded agribusiness consulting boutique known for economic scenario analysis, strategic reviews, and sector intelligence for financial institutions, cooperatives, trading companies, and investors across Brazil's agricultural value chain.
- Two MB Agro founders will join EY Brazil as partners: economist Alexandre Mendonça de Barros, a nationally recognized macroeconomic analyst, and agricultural engineer José Carlos Hausknecht, known for sectoral projections and scenario analysis.
- MB Agro's full professional team, active client portfolio, and subscription-based intelligence products — including sector reports and analyses — will be incorporated into EY Brazil upon closing.
- The acquisition deepens EY Brazil's agribusiness capabilities, complementing its existing audit, consulting, tax, M&A, and valuation services and its Agribusiness Center of Excellence in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.
- MB Agro has roots in macroeconomic and sector analysis dating to the 1970s, with a dedicated focus on agribusiness since 2005.
EY Brazil (Ernst & Young Assessoria Empresarial Ltda.) has agreed to acquire MB Agro — Consultoria e Assessoria em Agronomia Sociedade Simples, a boutique strategic consulting and market intelligence firm serving Brazil's agribusiness sector. The deal, subject to customary regulatory approvals, will bring MB Agro's entire team and client portfolio into EY Brazil, along with two of its founders joining as partners.
What MB Agro Brings to EY Brazil
MB Agro has built its reputation over decades advising financial institutions, large agricultural producers, cooperatives, trading companies, and investors on credit, risk, investment, and M&A decisions across Brazil's agribusiness value chain. The firm's work spans economic scenario modeling, strategic reviews, and proprietary sector studies that inform high-stakes decisions in one of the world's largest agricultural economies.
Upon closing, all MB Agro professionals will join EY Brazil, and the firm's active project portfolio and client relationships will transfer to EY Brazil. Subscription-based products, including recurring intelligence reports and sector analyses, will also continue under the EY Brazil platform.
“The technical depth that Alexandre, José Carlos and their team bring represents a significant addition to our portfolio. This integration enhances our ability to provide diagnostics that support critical market decisions, now embedded within a global, multidisciplinary platform,” said Luiz Sérgio Vieira, CEO of EY Brazil.
Two Agribusiness Leaders Join EY Brazil as Partners
Alexandre Mendonça de Barros is an economist widely cited in Brazil for his macroeconomic analysis of the agribusiness sector, with particular expertise in market projections, rural credit, and sector trends. José Carlos Hausknecht is an agricultural engineer with a master's degree in animal science and pastures, recognized for his scenario analyses and forward-looking sectoral projections.
“Our history began in the 1970s with macroeconomic, sector and scenario analysis. Since 2005, we have focused on agribusiness, and now we are taking a new step forward. At a time when understanding the interaction between climate, costs, demand and geopolitics is essential for sound decision-making, EY Brazil offers the scale and capability to transform complex data into strategic drivers for the entire value chain,” said Alexandre Mendonça de Barros.
“Our integration further strengthens our ability to monitor a complex sector with precision. Agribusiness demands technically grounded, data-driven analysis to anticipate movements and reduce uncertainty. I am confident we will deliver even more comprehensive, strategic and insightful services,” said José Carlos Hausknecht.
EY Brazil's Existing Agribusiness Platform
EY Brazil has served the agribusiness sector for decades through audit, consulting, tax, M&A, and valuation services. The firm operates an Agribusiness Center of Excellence in Ribeirão Preto — located roughly 200 miles northeast of São Paulo — which connects companies, startups, universities, and research centers around technology and innovation in the agricultural sector. The MB Agro acquisition is framed as a deepening of this existing platform rather than a new entry into the space.
“This integration was designed to foster continuity for existing clients while significantly expanding our service portfolio and delivery capabilities for the broader market. It places us in a distinctive position to address the most complex demands of Brazilian agribusiness,” said Otávio Lopes, EY Brazil Agribusiness Leader.
