Between the 18th and 21st of January, the president of Embrapa, Celso Moretti, participates in another international agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation relations and opening new markets for Brazilian agriculture. The technical mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, includes visits to government and research institutions related to the use of conventional and non-conventional water, private food and beverage companies and agricultural properties. On the 19th, a meeting is confirmed with the UAE's Prime Minister of Future Food Security, Mariam Almheiri, to discuss possibilities for strategic partnerships of interest to both countries.
The Brazilian delegation includes the secretary of Innovation, Rural Development and Irrigation of Mapa and secretary of the Board of Directors of Embrapa (Consad), Fernando Camargo; the heads of Embrapa Hortaliças, Warley Nascimento, of Embrapa Cassava and Fruticulture, Alberto Vilarinhos, and of Embrapa Goats and Sheep, Marco Aurélio Bomfim; and representatives from the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
The technical agenda includes visits to the Institute Center of Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), an international agricultural research center aimed at improving productivity and sustainability in marginal and saline areas; Camelicious Farm, Fish Farm (breeding and incubating marine fish to supply the local aquaculture industry), Agthia Group (a leading company in food and beverage production), Al Dhahra Holding Company (agribusiness multinational, specialized in cultivation, production and marketing of animal feed and food products in the supply chain), to Elite Agro (food products cultivation and marketing company) and Jenan Investment Company, in addition to the research station of ADAFSA (Agriculture and Food Safety Authority of Abu Dhabi, responsible for agriculture, food security, food security and biosecurity).
“The possibilities for cooperation and exchange of technologies, in addition to opening up markets and businesses for Brazil, are very great,” said the president of Embrapa. According to him, the profile of the foreign country, which seeks new investment opportunities as an option to economic dependence on oil, favors negotiations in several areas of common interest to both nations.
He recalled that in previous contacts with the Minister of Food Security, Mariam Al Meheiri, in Dubai, and later in a visit to Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, in Brasília, the potential for future talks had already become clear. “That was when we were invited to organize a mission to the country, with the aim of establishing cooperation”, he commented.
Moretti highlighted that the food security of the population of the United Arab Emirates is a priority issue for the country's government, mainly because the level of food imports is still high, unlike Brazil, which has the capacity to feed a population seven times larger than Brazilian population.
When visiting the biosaline research center, the mission's expectation is to exchange experiences that can be adapted to the reality of the caatinga biome. “They work with desalination of sea water and subsoil water, which is brackish”, he commented, highlighting that the counterpart to the partnership can come from Embrapa Semiárido and Embrapa Meio Ambiente, which develop studies with biosaline agriculture and crops, such as grass salt, forage used in animal feed and well adapted to arid and semi-arid regions.
The mission will also learn about the experience of a fish production farm, and in the area of food safety, there will be the opportunity to visit the public research center, which focuses on the chemical, physical and biological quality of food. “The country consumes imported food and one concern is the risk of contamination of the population”, he explained. “In this regard, we have Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos and Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, which can interface with the Arab institution, in addition to Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura, which is interested in the experience of fish farms”, highlighted the president.
According to Moretti's expectations, the results of the trip to the United Arab Emirates could also have a positive impact on the private sector, opening up new business possibilities for national agriculture. Furthermore, the partnership with the country can result in alternatives for raising funds for agricultural research.
Another topic on the conversation agenda between the representations of the two countries is the intention for Embrapa to establish an office in the United Arab Emirates, which can facilitate contacts and strengthen future partnerships. “But it is an issue that still needs to be submitted to the Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs,” he said. “This possibility represents excellent opportunities for Brazil, since 50% of the world's middle class will be in Southeast Asia, largely located in the tropical belt of the globe (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia)”.
According to him, if the installation of the Embrapa office in the country is carried out, a manager with a vision of business and agricultural opportunities must be appointed. “We want to boost this area, investing more in monetization strategies for our assets, starting in 2020,” he stated, highlighting the importance of the company's internationalization. “Embrapa has a strong name outside Brazil, thanks to the recognition achieved by the research developed with our partners”, he added.
Moretti believes that there will be no difficulty in obtaining resources for good projects. “And good projects in the area of agriculture are what Embrapa knows how to do”, he assured. The president said that Embrapa has cultivars protected through royalties and that it is possible to sign contracts with the Emirates so that they are available for use in the country. Among the opportunities for monetization and fundraising is knowledge, which includes scientific guidance aimed at the local reality.
The opening of investment opportunities in Brazil in the bioeconomy area - which is expected to generate trillions of dollars in the future - was also cited by Celso Moretti as one of the potential successful partnerships. “We can present the technology developed from nitrogen-fixing bacteria”, he highlighted, remembering that in Brazil 35 million hectares of land produce soy without the need to use a gram of nitrogen fertilizer.
In addition to the intention to set up an Embrapa office in the United Arab Emirates, the president said that it is in the company's plans to resume cooperation actions in Africa, which, due to a 'strategic error', according to him, ended up being interrupted. “Sixty percent of the world's arable land is on the African continent and we have a lot to contribute”, referring to the Zarc technology (agricultural climate risk zoning), which can be adopted in several countries.
Regarding projects outside Brazil, Moretti said that a cooperation agreement will be signed with Apex, with at least one work plan, aimed at guaranteeing financing for future missions abroad on an ongoing basis, as part of a strategic strengthening plan of internationalization. The agreement with the agency is expected to be signed in the first quarter of this year.
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