Brazil’s research in agribusiness in global spotlight
In 50 years, Brazil left its position as importer of food to become a leading nation in farming, which has encouraged other countries to replicate Brazil’s experience in their territories, said Celso Moretti, president of the Brazilian Corporation of Agricultural Research (Embrapa).
According to Moretti, countries seek to attain autonomy and food security through partnerships with the state-run firm. In collaboration with universities and private enterprises, the company conducts research on technology and innovation, which has led to the Brazil’s leading position in the production of food and bioenergy.
Embrapa’s president is currently on a trip through Europe and the Middle East, where meetings have been held with authorities, experts, and executives in the agribusiness field in Budapest, London, and Doha.
While talking about the interest of foreign governments and institutions in Embrapa’s work, Moretti told Agência Brasil that the success of Brazilian research stems from the good use of taxes.
“Every year we show society how much each real invested in Embrapa is returned back to it. Last year, for each real invested, 12 reais was given back to society. In other words, investing in science, technology, and agricultural innovation pays off. The net yield can be trusted,” Moretti argued.
Moretti further said that, “if Brazilian society pays taxes, and if these taxes are invested in Embrapa, we can’t just hand over these solutions to other countries.”
Brazil benefits from the cooperation with other countries, he said, by bringing the country’s private sector into the negotiations. If there is negotiation, the private enterprise may go in with animal and vegetable genetics, along with several other goods, the firm’s president pointed out.
Embrapa gone global
A few years ago, Embrapa became strategic not just for Brazil, Moretti remarked. The company, he went on to say, “is known worldwide for its competence in developing solutions for agriculture and tropical forests around the world.”
He explained that, as it is located between the tropics, Embrapa is seen as undisputed leader for research in the food sector in this geographic zone.
This perception, he said, reverberates in business. As an example, he mentioned Qatar, one of the countries visited by Moretti.
Qatar, he went on to note, imported Holstein Friesian—or Dutch—cows for milk production. Qatari technicians adapted dairy production to this species. The problem is, it adapts extremely well to the weather in the Netherlands, but not to the temperatures in Qatar, which can reach 50° C.
“Their cost for milk production with Dutch cows became extremely high,” he remarked, adding that he showed Qatari producers the Brazilian experience with hybrid Gyr–Holstein Friesian milk-yielding cattle.
“When I showed it to them, they were very impressed. To bring them the Brazilian Girolando cattle [Gyr–Holstein Friesian hybrid] is part of our idea of taking the adapted genetics from the tropics to that area,” he stated. Qatari executives also expressed interest in buying Brazilian Girolando cattle.
Celso Moretti is attending a yearly meeting of the United Nations Environment Program in Prague, today and Friday (Oct 31, Nov 1). The Meeting on the Future of Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the last engagement in this official trip abroad.
