Program aimed at small producers is highlighted at Agro Experience 2020

Corteva Agriscience participates in Agro Experience, the largest online conference on agribusiness in Brazil, which will be held between November 03rd and 05th, from 09am to 18pm, digitally and free of charge. The three-day program will feature important market figures discussing trends for Agro on the Communication, Innovation and Sustainability fronts. To register, simply access the site. In addition to being one of the main sponsors of the event, Corteva will be represented on the panel “Prospera Program: how to expand the productive potential of the Northeast through agroscience and training”, which will take place on the day Apr 03, 11:13 am (Brasilia time). On this occasion, Alexsandro Mastropaulo, Leader of Corteva Agriscience's Prospera Program in Brazil, will talk about the purpose, partnerships, results and future plans of Prospera – a program aimed at small producers in the Northeast region of Brazil.

Created in 2017 by Corteva, Prospera seeks to train small farmers in the Northeast region of Brazil who work with corn grain and silage, to adopt a sustainable high-yield production system and access to inputs, services and the consumer market. The objective is to promote income generation and sustainable development of rural communities in this region. “We started the program with a group of 45 participants and, due to the great impact we had on the productivity of their crops and commercialization of production, last year we reached more than 1.400 participants. We are now executing the plan for the second phase of the program, which is sustainable climbing, so that in the next five years, more than 50 thousand small producers are included in a modern agriculture model”, adds Mastropaulo. In addition to producers, the technical and practical training is also aimed at agricultural students and professionals.

Partnership with Cubo Itaú - Technology and Innovation applied to Prospera

In March this year, Corteva Agriscience entered into a partnership with Cubo Itaú, an important hub for promoting technological entrepreneurship in Latin America, in search of innovative solutions to agribusiness challenges and to scale Prospera. Corteva was the first company in the sector to join Cubo and, since the beginning of the partnership, it has already carried out an open innovation process with 13 startups. The company's objective is to establish connections with startups from different segments, seeking solutions that bring benefits to the entire agricultural chain.

Currently, Corteva is carrying out, together with four startups, what, in the context of innovation, is called “proof of concept”. That is, they are validating the technological solutions and services they offer that can be applied to the needs of small farmers.

“There are countless challenges faced by rural producers in Brazil and the industry has a fundamental role in finding many of the solutions. With Prospera, small producers in the Northeast region saw a jump in productivity from 10 bags per hectare, at the beginning of the program, to 80 bags per hectare, on average. The partnership with Cubo Itaú will allow us to expand the impact of this program, in line with our purpose of improving the lives of farmers and their families, ensuring progress for the next generations”, says Mastropaulo.