Science and technology have made Brazil one of the world's largest food producers

Science and technology have made Brazil one of the world's largest food producers

Investment in science over decades has helped to position Brazil among the world's potential food producers. In 2021, the country registered important milestones in agriculture: it was the world's largest soybean exporter on the planet (91 million tons); third largest producer of corn and beans (105 million and 2.9 million tons, respectively); more than a third of the world's sugar production is generated here, absolute leadership in the product; and the largest volume of beef exported in the world came from here (2.5 million tons).

Even in crops with lower performance and stable production over the years, such as wheat, for example, with the 23rd position in the world, the perspective is for increased production and the search for reduced dependence on imported cereal. In fruit production, Brazil occupies the third position, behind only the megapopulous China and India, but with still modest exports, indicating great potential there.

The data were compiled by the study “O Agro no Brasil e no Mundo, 2022 edition” by researcher Elisio Contini and analyst Adalberto Aragão, both from Embrapa. They were based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) FaoStat platform.

On October 16th, World Food Day is celebrated and the results of the study demonstrate the important contribution of Brazilian agricultural research to food in the world. (Access the full study on Brazil may surpass India in 2023 in grain production).

THE SCIENCE BEHIND FOOD

“These results are the result of decades of investment in research that transformed the country into the agricultural power it is today”, says the president of Embrapa, Celso Moretti. “It is a continuous effort that cannot stop. Last year, we launched BRS 539 soybean, a cultivar resistant to Asian rust and stink bugs; we launched a bioincepticide that controls the fall armyworm and is harmless to other beings, an important advance for corn and soybean crops; We also developed the Low Carbon Meat protocol, which, together with Neutral Meat (also the result of research), responds to a demand from countries that buy Brazilian meat: the guarantee of a sustainable production system. These are just three recent examples among dozens of research solutions that help the country maintain and expand its role in agriculture”, explains Moretti.

The president of Embrapa highlights that agriculture is a dynamic sector subject to climate change, the occurrence of new diseases, demand for increased production, a permanent requirement for sustainability. These are constant challenges that require answers that only a well-structured system can supply, according to him. “State research institutions, universities and Embrapa work to follow up on advances in food production. It is from the laboratories and experimental fields that the solutions that agriculture needs to grow and produce come from”, says Moretti. He informs that today Brazil exports to more than 200 markets around the world. This was achieved by science and by the Brazilian farmer, who had the determination and courage to invest in a sector that has become one of the most thriving in the Brazilian economy.

COUNTRY IS THE THIRD FRUIT PRODUCER IN THE WORLD

Brazil is the third largest producer of fruit in the world, with 58 million tons, 5.4% of international production. Its production primarily serves the domestic market, although the São Francisco Valley stands out for the export of quality grapes and mangoes.

According to data from the Brazilian Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters (Abrafrutas), in 2021, grape and mango exports had robust growth. Adding the two fruits together, the growth was 17.93% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The largest importers of mango from the São Francisco Valley are the Netherlands, the United States and Spain. The grape, on the other hand, finds its biggest consumers in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. “And it was precisely the research that allowed a semi-arid region such as the São Francisco Valley to achieve such expressive results for the world's food”, highlighted Moretti, remembering that the Vitória grape, so common on supermarket shelves, is the result of research by Embrapa .

One of the destinations for Brazilian mangoes produced in the São Francisco Valley is South Africa. With creativity, Brazilian scientists developed the hydrothermal treatment of fruits, a technology developed by a research network led by Embrapa for more than two decades. The technique consists of soaking fruits weighing up to 425 grams in water heated to 46ºC for 75 minutes, and fruits between 426g and 650g for 90 minutes. The process kills any insect eggs or larvae that may be present. The work of Brazilian scientists was to develop parameters for national conditions and fight fruit flies, as the technique was only used for other pests at the time.

For a long time, Brazil used only chemical control to fight the pest, a practice that closed the doors of some international markets that adopt severe phytosanitary barriers. According to the president of the Moscamed Brasil biofactory, Jair Fernandes Virgínio, the hydrothermal treatment was essential for the mangoes to reach the level of quality necessary to travel the world and open new markets.

THE CHALLENGE OF INCREASE FISH PRODUCTION

Increasing Brazilian fish production, exports and consumption is one of the challenges for the coming years. And agricultural science has been working in this direction. In 2021, Brazil was the 21st largest producer of fish in the world with 1.4 million tons of live weight, or less than 1% of the total in 2021.

Technologies such as Tambaplus, Tilaplus and Vannaplus have been contributing to the genetic improvement of fish, allowing the offer of a high quality product on the market.

From the moment the tilapia or tambaqui producer starts to use the services available on Tilaplus and Tambaplus, he will have answers about the degree of kinship between the matrices of his herd. This means having information to plan the crossbreeding of the matrices and, thus, increase the genetic potential of the herd, obtaining productivity gains.

Vannaplus follows the same logic as the two fish farming technologies. Its use will allow the producer to identify genetically distant animals and recommend crosses with greater probability of success. The technology will also promote the aggregation of information and value to the shrimp breeding market (the rearing of shrimp in captivity).

“Fish production in Brazil is still a challenge for the country, but with available technologies and investment in science, we will be able to take productivity leaps in the future”, explains Contini.

Source: Abrafrutas