Scheffer and Embrapa form a partnership to develop new biological products

Scheffer, the first Brazilian agribusiness company to obtain the "regenagri" Regenerative Agriculture seal, has just signed a technical-scientific partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation – Embrapa for the development of new biological products. The company, which already invests in the use of bio-inputs, is now seeking with the partnership to further expand the use of bio-products in its crops. Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology becomes the licensor of Scheffer's biological products.

The goal is to double the area of ​​regenerative agriculture, a sustainable method that proposes cultivating the soil with reduced use of chemicals, from 4.000 to 8.000 hectares by the end of 2023.

According to Candido Barreto de Novais, doctor in soil health and Laboratory and Research coordinator at Scheffer, the partnership signed with Embrapa will allow the company to test in the field the results obtained in years of studies by researcher Rose Monnerat's team, from Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology. “It will be a great advance, as we will be able to observe directly in crops, on a large scale, how these new biological assets will behave both in pest control and in plant development”, stated Candido.

Dyogo Machado, director of New Business at Scheffer, highlights the importance of the partnership with Embrapa. “The success of biological control is due to investments in research and development of increasingly modern and technological products. Research institutes and their connection with large companies provide the necessary knowledge transfer to introduce innovation in biological formulations. And having the support of this highly specialized team will allow us to advance even further in relation to research and the replacement of current chemical products with biological ones. The new products will collaborate with field management, delivering more sustainable food and fibers to society”, highlighted Dyogo.

The Scheffer team spent 15 days with the Biological Control team at the Embrapa Unit, in Brasília, in training. And there will be other cycles of training and knowledge exchange between both. Scheffer has a specialized team that works exclusively with regenerative agriculture and the development of biological products.

Researcher Rose Monnerat, from Embrapa, also highlights that the partnership between the two companies allows, in addition to the exchange of experiences, the development of technologies in favor of agribusiness and the rational production of agricultural products. “Scheffer is at the forefront of agribusiness companies concerned with productivity and the control of pests and diseases in an integrated, rational and sustainable way. This type of initiative should be an example of how companies can work on cooperation and co-development, combining technical excellence and advanced infrastructure, working within the concept of integrated pest and disease management. In this way, in addition to generating quality agricultural solutions, we are contributing to the preservation of the environment and protecting living beings”, highlighted Monnerat.

Biological products are products composed of microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, that control diseases and pests, helping to produce food while reducing the use of chemical products. In addition to promoting plant health, bioproducts are not toxic to humans or animals, do not pollute the environment and help maintain nature's ecological balance.

Focus on sustainability

According to Guilherme Scheffer, the company's financial director, over the last year, the company has increased investments in the area of ​​scientific research. “Our purpose is to be increasingly sustainable. And this partnership with Embrapa will guarantee even more efficiency. We realize that conventional agriculture is less profitable and sustainable. With each cycle, it is necessary to increase the use of chemicals in sanitary control, which, at the same time, increases the resistance capacity against pests and diseases. The only solution is to preserve, nurture and use biodiversity to our advantage. We are visibly investing more and more in regenerative practices, which guarantee productivity without losing soil health and delivering more life to the earth”, argues Scheffer.

For Rafael Vivian, head of Innovation and Business at the Unit, the partnership with Scheffer promotes the integration of skills and will enable the insertion of new solutions for biological pest management. “Our objective is to strengthen the relationship between research and the field and provide an environment of constant innovation, meeting the interests of the production chain. We contribute to higher quality agricultural production and remain attentive to future challenges and trends for agribusiness”, concludes Rafael.

Scheffer

With more than 30 years of activities, Scheffer is headquartered in Cuiabá (MT) and has nine production units distributed between Mato Grosso, Maranhão and Pará, with a presence also in Colombia, with more than 200 thousand hectares of cultivated area for soybean production. , cotton, corn, livestock, in addition to mining.

Cotton production is the main activity. The company is one of the five largest cotton producers in the country. The volume produced is 100% certified by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR). In addition to cultivation, Scheffer processes the lint in five of its own cotton gins.

 Scheffer has invested decades of knowledge in new techniques to practice regenerative agriculture, which comprises a set of actions that restore biodiversity, creating healthier, more resilient plants with a better impact for everyone: from life in the soil, to people, to business and the planet as a whole. And for this reason, it was the first company in Brazil to obtain regenagri certification in regenerative agriculture.