Biotechnologies in action in Brazil presentation by " Maurício Lopes, President, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Brasília, Brazil"

2. Biotechnology in Action
in Brasil
Maurício Antônio Lopes
Pedro Luiz Oliveira de Almeida Machado
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa

3. Summary
Constraints to agricultural development
Key drivers of agricultural innovation
Agricultural biotechnologies
Biotechnologies and bioeconomy
Challenges for the future

4. Constraints in tropical environments
Source : NHQ/NRCS/USDA
Concentration of acidic and nutrient-poor soils in the tropics
Tropical Soils
Acid – 84%
Saline – 2%
Shallow – 7%
Flooded – 16%
No problem – 9%

5. Constraints in tropical environments
2/3 OF BIODIVERSITY CONCENTRATED IN
THE TROPICS
37% IN TROPICALAMERICA
A Mega-diverse Country
It is estimated that Brazil contains greater biodiversity than any other country on Earth.
Barthlott, W., Biedinger, N., Braun, G., Feig, F., Kier, G. & J. Mutke (1999): Terminological and methodological aspects of the mapping and analysis of global biodiversity. In: Acta Botanica Fennica 162: 103-110.

6. Constraints in tropical Environments
Before 1970 Brazil was not a food secure
country.
• Low agricultural production and low yields;
• Production only in the South and Southeast Regions;
• Constant food supply crisis and rural poverty;
• Lack of specific knowledge in tropical agriculture;
• Lack of adequate agricultural development policies;
• Brazil: a coffee and sugar producer.
Tropical Forest
Semi-Arid
Savanna

7. Challenging Tropical Environments
Despite the constraints…
Brazil has developed a science-based, advanced
tropical agriculture

8. Key Drivers of Agricultural Innovation
Improvents in fertilizer recommendation and acidity control
Quality and certified seeds
Government commitment and public policies;
Landscape suitable for mechanization;
Availability of mineral resources (limestone and nitrogen);
Crop breeding programs;
Biological nitrogen fixation (soybean without mineral N fertilizer)
Farmers’ will for entrepreneurship.

9. Institutional building and strenghtening
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
47 Embrapa centers dedicated to technology development
State research institutes
Large network of experimental stations
Private sector
Brazil has also an active and growing private sector,
which supplies technologies and technical assistance
mainly in farm inputs and food processing
Agricultural faculties
& technical schools
Federal network of
professional education

10. Challenging Tropical Environments

11. Key results and impacts
Technology: basis of agricultural development in Brazil

12. Key results and impacts
Brazil became a relevant export country
Sources: MAPA, Conab and ÚNICA
32%
42%
47%
47%
59%
68%
72%
79%
85%
89%
68%
58%
53%
53%
41%
32%
28%
21%
15%
11%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Açúcar
Celulose
Café
Soja
Algodão
Carne de frango
Milho
Carne bovina
Carne suína
ÁlcoolAlcohol
Corn
Beef
Poultry
Cotton
Soybean
Coffee
Cellulose
Sugar
Beef
Domestic Consumption Export
Pork

13. Key results and impacts
Evolution of food basket prices in São Paulo, Brazil
(1975=100, real prices, Sept.2013)
Data from DIEESE, deflator IGP-DI (FGV), calculations and elaboration by G.B. Martha (2013).
Brazil became food secure in a short time
± 50% decrease

15. High impact agricultural biotec in Brazil
BIOSAFETY, BIOINFORMATICS, PROTEOMICS, METABOLIC ENGINEERING ETC...
ADVANCED
REPRODUCTION
CLONING
IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION
Animal Breeding
GR Conservation
Germplasm Enhancement
Biofactories
MOLECULAR
TOOLS
MOLECULAR
BREEDING
Molecular Markers/Maps
Genetic Resources Charc.
Gene/Trait Mapping
Function Characterization
GENOMIC
SCIENCES
GENOMICS
PROTEOMICS
Coffee
Eucalyptus
Banana/Rice
Bovine & Others
Well beyond genetic engineering...
GENETIC
ENGINEERING
TRANSGENIC
TECHNOLOGY
Biotic Stress Tolerance
Abiotic Stress Tolerance
Quality/Functionality
New Bioproducts

16. Genomic Selection
Biotechnology in Action in Brazil

17. Strong public-private partnership
Biotechnology in Action in Brazil

18. Genomic Selection – Concrete results for the industry
Biotechnology in Action in Brazil

19. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Advanced animal reproduction
India’s cattle returning to its origin
Source: Globo Rural

20. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Second Generation Ethanol
Commercial production of celullosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse
Source: http://www.canalbioenergia.com.br/biocombustivel-2g-da-granbio-uma-realidade-brasileira/

22. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Brazilian Biosafety Law Guidelines

23. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Brazilian Biosafety System

24. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Commercial approval of biotec products in Brazil
Source: CTNBio (http://www.ctnbio.gov.br/) – 2015 data

25. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Commercial approval of biotec products in Brazil
Source: CTNBio (http://www.ctnbio.gov.br/) – 2015 data

26. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Commercial approval of biotec products in Brazil
Source: CTNBio (http://www.ctnbio.gov.br/) – 2015 data

27. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Field test approvals in 2015
Source: CTNBio (http://www.ctnbio.gov.br/) – 2015 data

28. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Adoption of GM technology in Brazil

30. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
First biotec crop developed in Brazil – Open Innovation

31. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Bean Golden Mosaic - annual decreases between 90,000 t and 280,000 t
yellow-green mosaic of leaves, stunted growth
The first biotech plant developed in the southern hemisphere by a public
organization - From the lab bench to the field (Phaseolus vulgaris)

32. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Embrapa’s GMV resistant beans:
• Approved for open field trials in 2011;
• Commercial release – 2016 – Central Region of Brazil;
• Impacts: less use of pesticides to control the vector Bemisia tabaci and less risky production

34. Agriculture... Food – Nutrition – Health ...
Agriculture… Environmental and ecosystem services
Agriculture... Biomass – Biomaterials – Green Chemistry...
. Agriculture will be increasingly demanded for multifunctionality
. Not only food, fiber or bioenergy production
Agriculture and the Nascent Bioeconomy

35. Biotechnology and the Nascent Bioeconomy
medicines
genetic
improvement
vaccines
biological
control
microrganisms
in agriculture and
bioenergy production
industrial
fermentation
genetic
transformation
gene editing
cell culture
tissue culture
plant and animal
cloning
genomics

36. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
.Transgenic soybean plants producing
cianovirin for HIV treatment.
.The comercial production is under
discussion with the private sector.
Biofactories

37. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
New incentives for the continued production of biofuel will come from the
newly negotiated Paris Agreement. Biotechnology is helping to improve the
efficiency of the processes.
Created in 2011, GranBio is a Brazilian
Biotechnology company working in the
production of second generation biofuels
Second Generation Ethanol is a reality and it will
be 20% cheaper than the conventional ethanol
according to the company. (2014).
Advanced Biofuels

38. Biotechnology in Action in Brazil
Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, and Zyca Virus
Bacillus thuringiensis
israelensis, a soil bacteria,
kills the larvae of A. aegypti
controlling the adult
population.
Registered in 2004
2005
Biological control of human diseases
Aedes aegypti

40.  Sustainability economic/environmental/social
 Low carbon processes - Reducing GHG emissions
 Expanding possibilities in many fronts - food/nutrition/health – environmental services
 Mimic and enhance natural processes - new industrial processes & products
 Less waste and less energy consumption
 Adding value to natural processes and biodiversity
 More efficient, distributed and equitable value chains
Agriculture will need new tools and processes...
Advanced Technologies are Essential

41. Communication with society
New agricultural technologies must not be seen as a
problem, but as a solution and key component in the
path towards a more sustainable future.
Advanced technologies are essential

42. Mauricio Antonio Lopes, PhD
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária
presidencia@embrapa.br
mauricio.lopes@embrapa.br
www.embrapa.br
www.facebook.com/agrosustentavel
@MauricioLopes
@Science4Future
Pedro Luiz Oliveira de Almeida Machado, Dr. nat. techn.
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária
labex.europe@embrapa.br
pedro.machado@embrapa.br