Minister discusses changes at Embrapa

For more than three hours, the 42 heads of Embrapa's decentralized units met with the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Blairo Maggi, and the president of the state-owned company, Maurício Lopes, to strategically discuss the company's direction for the future. “The Embrapa that brought us here will not be the same that will take us to the future”, observed the minister at the beginning of the meeting. 

Blairo Maggi recognized the importance of the company for the country's agriculture over the last 40 years and highlighted the recognition of research abroad. However, he warned of the need to implement structural changes that make Embrapa once again a cutting-edge company contributing to research and innovation for the growth of Brazilian agriculture.

“Structural changes require us to carry out activities that are different from those we currently have. Unfortunately, at the current moment, we have the aggravating factor that the government does not have the resources to invest in research and innovation. This lack of money makes us reflect and try to think a little differently from what we have been thinking until now. Hence, the need to think about Embrapa’s future strategically,” said Maggi.

Maurício Lopes recalled that he received commands from the minister for Embrapa to quickly enter into the modeling process necessary for the institution to remain at the forefront of agricultural research. He said that he has been strictly following the guidelines received to adjust the company to changes that are taking place in Brazil and around the world.

“Over two years we have dedicated ourselves to the ongoing adjustment process. We will have a prepared and mature company. We seek to improve management, said Lopes, remembering that the company is dedicated to a business (research) that does not present results in the short term, but rather in years, and that this requires constancy of purpose so that projects are not interrupted.

For Blairo Maggi, it is important for the government to have a company like Embrapa, but he regretted that the budget allocated to research had decreased with the economic crisis faced by the country. “Within a limited budget and low expectations, we have to design something and establish how to be more productive and effective.”

The executive secretary of Mapa and president of the Administrative Council of Embrapa, Eumar Novacki, said that creativity is necessary to solve problems without resources. He also said that changes are being discussed very calmly and rationally. “Nothing will be done in vain,” he assured. The executive secretary said that some proposals are being analyzed, such as the combination of activities in different Embrapa units that operate in the same region. “What is being discussed is something that will lead us to advances and bring improvements to the institution. Embrapa is extremely important for Brazil and our challenge now is to know how we are going to move forward”, said Novacki.