Marcos Pontes takes office at Embrapa Consad

For the first time, a State Minister will act as a member of the Embrapa Board of Directors (Consad), participating in decisions related to the Company and its performance in the national agricultural research scenario. On the afternoon of this Thursday (April 04), the current minister of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications, Marcos Pontes, took office at the 168th meeting of the council, with the mission, according to him, of contributing to addressing the challenges of Embrapa and the Brazilian agricultural sector.

“I would like to thank you and start by saying why I am here”, he said, before the other advisors and the Company's management. “My role is to connect the ministry and use it as a tool to help Embrapa become an increasingly protagonist in agriculture on the planet”, he stated, referring to the importance of technology so that research can develop even further and surpass the challenges and needs that arise in the agricultural scenario.

According to him, helping with this connection will be a priority. “The way we structure the ministry, our intention is for it to really be a practical tool for arriving at products, services, and new technology-based companies,” he commented. “If we can get close enough and provide information that helps with regulation in the area of ​​science and technology and public policies in the country, with the support of the ministry structure, base laboratories, structuring laboratories, universities and everything we can connect, Embrapa’s work will be enhanced and I’m here for it”, he guaranteed.

The minister recalled following the Company's work for many years, including highlighting the Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology experiment, in 2006, when he evaluated, for the first time, the germination of seeds of Gonçalo Alves, a tree native to the cerrado, at the International Special Station.  

Marcos Pontes was greeted by Consad advisors and the president of Embrapa, Sebastião Barbosa, who reaffirmed the importance of having the Company aligned with the Federal Government. “We are here to serve the Brazilian agricultural sector, both agribusiness and basic family farming,” he said.

New advisor: Marcos Pontes

Aeronautical engineer graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) and master in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, California, USA, the current minister of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications, Marcos Pontes became known in the world as the first and only astronaut Brazilian to go to space, in March 2006, accompanied by the Russian Pavel Vinogradov and the American Jeffrey Williams, destined for the International Space Station. He belonged to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), where he was an instructor, fighter squadron leader and test pilot. In 1998, he was selected in a public competition for the Brazilian Space Agency to represent Brazil at NASA as an astronaut, in a civilian career.