Brazil
June 12, 2024
Silvia Massruhá and Ismahane Elouafi sign agreement that will strengthen South-South cooperation - Photo: Alef Mota
On Wednesday morning (Jun 12), the president of Embrapa, Silvia Massruhá, and the Executive Managing Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Ismahane Elouafi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration for the development of research on resilient food systems in the context of climate change. The initiative, which involves international research experts and officials, will be supported by the world’s largest publicly-funded agricultural research network. The signing ceremony took place during the 20th CGIAR System Council Meeting (SC20), at Embrapa’s headquarters in Brasília, Brazil, with the presence of representatives of funders and of developing countries.
These meetings take place twice a year and gather representatives of funders and of developing countries to review CGIAR's strategy, mission, impact and continued relevance in a rapidly changing landscape of agricultural research for development. “The choice of Embrapa to host the event in 2024 is a tribute to the corporation's role in the global agricultural context and to its 50th anniversary in 2023”, explains Embrapa Rice and Beans researcher Pedro Machado, who represents the institution at CGIAR.
Agreement reinforces South-South cooperation
The priority areas for cooperation include natural resources and climate change; adaptation and resilience of production systems and strategic crops; gene banks, including cryopreservation; biotechnology, microorganisms, nanotechnology; biomass and green chemistry; bioeconomy and bioproducts. It also included post-industrial technology; automation, precision digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, information and communication technology; as well as data modeling and analysis, including the definition of standardized metrics and indicators. In addition, it covers animal and plant production systems; food security, nutrition and health and markets, policies and rural development; and markets, policy and rural development.
The president of Embrapa recalled the challenges to be faced, including climate change, energy transition, and digital, social and productive inclusion in rural areas. “I am confident that this collaboration will be very important to promote South-South cooperation and contribute to the future of the planet”, she asserted. Massruhá stated that, based on programs in partnership with CGIAR and initiatives like soil acidity control, integrated pest management and climate risk zoning, agricultural research has not only increased crop yield but also reduced risks, boosting agricultural resilience.
With regard to carbon, she appreciated the impact of Embrapa's research in the development of Renovacalc, an official calculator to estimate the carbon footprint of fuels within the scope of the National Biofuels Policy (Renovabio), which covers over 75% of production of power plants. “That is crucial given the climate disaster that currently affects Brazil,” she said, noting that there is a need for scientific approaches to promote more sustainable production practices.
Massruhá also stressed the importance of the recent Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists of G20 States (MACS-G20) in May, in Brasília, which was coordinated by Embrapa, and the corporation's commitment to UNFCCC COP-30, an occasion when she believes it will be possible to share perspectives and solutions for climate change.
As for digital and precision agriculture, the president drew attention to the potential of artificial intelligence, especially with regard to the decision-making process in the field, facilitating research and innovation activities as a public policy tool. “The collaboration between Embrapa and CGIAR is an instrument to achieve those milestones, which include the development of improved crop varieties, sustainable agricultural practices and innovative technologies,” she concluded.
Cooperation strengthens ongoing interaction since the 1970s
For CGIAR's executive director Ismahane Elouafi, who started her speech by highlighting Massruhá's role as a pioneering leader in digital transformation and defender of issues related to gender inclusion, the agreement with Embrapa reinforces the trajectory of the partnership that started in the 1970s. “Since then, we have worked together to improve environmental management in the Amazon basin, in the development of sweet potato and tropical wheat cultivars, in seed banks, in genetic resource conservation, and software”, she recalled. “Today CGIAR represents 13 research centers, with over 10,000 people, in around 80 countries and 3,000 partners,” she said.
According to her, the expectation is that the memorandum of understanding will prioritize new areas, especially those related to the adaptation and resilience of production systems and strategic crops. “We are committed to collaborating through the exchange of knowledge and common projects, making the best use of each other’s technical capabilities and assets”, she underscored.
On the occasion, Elouafi expressed solidarity with the victims of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul and restated they are on Brazil's side in facing the crisis. “As our colleagues at the International Water Management Institute say, it is through either too much or too little water that most people will suffer the effects of climate change. We also see the truth of this in the prolonged periods of drought and wildfires in the Amazon last year,” she observed, recalling the importance of the scientific community in the search for solutions that reduce the impacts of future climate-related scenarios.
“This agreement is an inspiration and an example of how we can work with the main national research partners to develop pioneer solutions, and of how we can promote South-South collaboration to ensure these solutions are delivered at scale where they are needed the most,” she concluded.
About CGIAR
CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly-funded group of agrifood systems research centers, is a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. It has more than 9,000 staff working in over 80 countries alongside more than 3,000 partners.
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