AgriThority® LLC, an integrated agricultural science consultancy, promoted the role of biological technologies in sustainable food, feed and fiber production to industry leaders at the recent Sustainable Intensification Brazil Summit, conducted by Challenge Advisory, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Biocontrol and Crop Protection Panel Members Pictured Left to Right: Dr. Heitor Cantarella, IAC, Jerry Duff, AgriThority, and Dr. Antonio Zem, FMC.
The October Summit addressed strategies Brazil could implement to achieve the country’s Low-Carbon Agricultural Plan. Presentations and discussions during the two-day event reviewed key issues that will shape the future of Brazilian agriculture – from lobbying for regulatory changes to knowledge and technology transfer for the country’s farmers.
AgriThority® President and Founder, Jerry Duff, was invited as a leader in agriculture consulting to moderate a panel discussion on the application and adoption of biological products to create a more favorable environment for sustainable agriculture.
“We’re seeing a growing demand globally for new technologies to reduce reliance on synthetic chemistry and to increase production without adversely affecting our natural resources,” Duff said. “Biological products are a sustainable crop protection solution growers can adopt quickly. The global market for biological inputs is growing at a rate of 14 percent per year, according to Markets and Markets, but in Brazil is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 percent. AgriThority is working with a wide range of biological and bio-rational companies to develop and introduce new crop inputs that will benefit growers, consumers and the environment.”
Participating on the panel were Dr. Heitor Cantarella, Director of the Soils and Environmental Research Center, Agronomic Institute of Campinas, and Dr. Antonio Zem, Corporate Vice President for Latin America, FMC Agricultural Solutions. The panel discussion reviewed trends in biologicals over the past five years, offered an outlook of the industry in the decade ahead and forecasted how this growing technology will influence agriculture in Brazil.
The summit, held in Rio de Janeiro on October 25 and 26, was attended by a multitude of global stakeholders from government, civil society, co-operatives, industry bodies, global business and academia. In addition to the utilization of biological products for crop protection, the summit addressed soil management, irrigation practices and precision and digital equipment to improve water use efficiency and precision instruments and equipment to facilitate improved management and overall sustainability.