THEWAYS
Main Embrapa guidelines until 2030:
•
Systemicagriculture:
integratedsystems,en-
vironmentalservices,productivecertification.
•
Value-adding:
diversification and speciali-
zation of the supply chains and products.
•
Amplemanagementandanalysisofrisks:
it
includes themes like climate-related, pro-
ductive, sanitary, economic, social anden-
vironmental risks, etc.
•
Technologiesonthefrontierofknowledge:
te-
chnologyandcommunication information te-
chnology,genomeedition,nanotechnology.
• Territorial strategic intelligence.
l
PERFIL
Veterinary Doctor, with aMaster’s De-
gree in Veterinary Parasitology and PhD
inVeterinarySciences,CleberOliveiraSo-
ares is an A Researcher at Embrapa since
2001, based in the National Beef Cattle
Research Center (Embrapa Beef Cattle).
HewastheHeadofEmbrapaBeefCattle’s
Research and Development Department
from 2005 to 2010, effective member of
theExternalAdvisors’Committee(CAE),a
division of the Agricultural Research Cen-
ter of Pantanal, National Dairy Cattle Re-
searchCenter,atEmbrapaAgriculturalIn-
formation Technology, of Embrapa Hogs
andPoultry. Hewas amember of theBo-
ard of Directors of the Brazilian School
of Animal Pathology. He was the Secre-
tary General of the Brazilian Animal Sur-
veillance Society (SBDA). Currently he
is a member of scientific and technical
committees at the Ministry of Agricultu-
re,LivestockandFoodSupply,Ministryof
Science, Technology and Innovation; Na-
tional Council for Scientific and Techno-
logical Development, Research Support
Foundation of the States of Mato Gros-
sodo Sul andMatoGrosso; Coordination
of Personal Development at Higher Edu-
cation (Capes), Brazilian Argentine Scho-
ol of Biotechnology, Embrapa, National
AgricultureInvestigationInstitute(Inia),in
Uruguay andVenezuela, Biotech-Sur, Na-
tional Agricultural Technology Institute
(Inta),inArgentina,amongothers.
S
ince July 2017 in the position as
Executive Director of the Tech-
nology Transfer Department at
the Brazilian Agricultural Re-
search Corporation (Embrapa),
researcher Cleber Oliveira Soares believes
that until 2030 the contemporary and dy-
namic acting model will be of fundamen-
tal importance for the company to play its
role in the Country. The organ mapped five
strategic choices: systemic agriculture, in-
volving integrated systems, environmental
services and productive certification; val-
ue-adding, diversification and product and
supply chain specialization; strategic terri-
torial intelligence; management and anal-
ysis of ample risks, which include themes
like climate-related risks, productive, sani-
tary, economic, social, environmental, etc;
and technologies at the knowledge frontier,
involving themes like Information Technol-
ogy and Communication (TICs), edition of
genomeandnanotechnology”. And the con-
nections between bio-economy and digital
economywill be reinforced.
To sustain this transformation, the cri-
sis of public accounts is closely monitored,
but does not put the plans in jeopardy. This,
mainly because Embrapa has strong links
with private and public players to encour-
age researchworks and the development of
technological assets. “Now, there are more
than400partnershipcontractsforResearch,
Development and Innovation (PD&I), a fact
that give us strength to make strides, con-
tributing towards the development of agri-
business”, he clarifies. “It is quite evident
that all institutions, as well as the Country,
have gone through a difficult economic pe-
riod. At Embrapa things are not different,
as we are greatly dependent on the Nation-
al Treasury. But we have always tried to sur-
mount these cyclical challenges.”
Soares also believes that the impor-
tance of the agricultural supply chains is
directly related to the trend of the food
crop market, in which food safety its qual-
ity and the need to increase the productiv-
ity rates are the threemain pillars. Accord-
ing to him, pressure towards sustainable
and maximized food production, associ-
ated with the new regulatory standards,
results in research challenges, develop-
ment and agribusiness innovation. “Bra-
zil and the world must produce food, fiber
and renewable energy in a sustainable
manner, without impacting upon the bi-
omes and excelling in the conservation of
the natural resources “, he insists.
With regard to new research areas or
specific Embrapa units, Soares maintains
that the research program, development
and innovation is going through analy-
ses, with emphasis on the results and de-
liveries, in line with the strategic choic-
es and the impact targets. The agro and
market trends and scenarios will sustain
the research areas.
Aware of the fact that Embrapa has had
the role of an anchor institution in the evo-
lution of Brazilian and tropical agribusi-
ness, not only Soares but the entire board
of the corporation know that there is glob-
al recognition, especially in the tropics.
The main contributions include the mas-
tering of acid and fragile soils, the develop-
ment of grain, forage, fruit and vegetable
cultivars; cultural practices and zootechni-
cal managements, breeds and strains, go-
ing through climate risk zoning and trace-
ability, along with modern techniques of
sustainable production, like the crop-live-
stock-forestry integration system.
Within this context, Soares resorts to
numbers and comparisons to sustain his
opinion. “When Embrapa was created, Bra-
zil imported a huge portion of its food. The
cost of the basic food basket represent-
ed 48 percent of the minimumwage. Now,
we are a major exporter, and the Brazilian
people spend less than 17 percent of their
salary on food”, he emphasizes. “The agri-
cultural world acknowledges Embrapa con-
tribution towards the Country. Many coun-
tries would like to rely on a corporation like
ours. We are frequently invited to sign inter-
national partnerships, so as to contribute
towards the development of agriculture in
other countries. Our responsibility is enor-
mous and this is a challenge that drives us”.
Embrapa is nowa reference in
technology for tropical agriculture
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