President Dilma Rousseff may be among the world’s most popular presidents but her re-election next year is being jeopardised by a formidable opponent: the humble tomato.
The price of tomatoes is partly seasonal, but is also symptomatic of rising inflation. It is as sensitive in Brazil – in particular in São Paulo and its state of the same name – as onions in India because of the foodstuff’s status as a staple in a region whose Italian roots run deep.
Bad weather this year has driven tomato prices up by about threefold, provoking protests from restaurateurs in a city known for the country’s best pizzas and pastas. It has thrown a spotlight on nagging inflation .