By Marcelo Altieri, president of Yara Brazil
In the year it hosts COP30, Brazil, one of the world's leading agricultural powers, has a unique opportunity to position agribusiness at the center of discussions. The sector is an important part of the solution for reducing emissions, capturing carbon, food security, and energy security. Thanks to its commitment to and technological advancement in agriculture, the country has scalable sustainable models. These models need to be seen and recognized by the world. And the time is now.
Brazil's leap over the past 40 years, from food importer to exporter, is part of a modernization movement that has resulted in significant increases in production and productivity. According to data from the study "Visão de Futuro do Agro Brasileiro" (Future Vision of Brazilian Agriculture) by Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, between 1974 and 2021, the area cultivated with grains, for example, increased by 1,42% per year, while production grew at a much higher rate, 4,11%, and yield by 2,69%.
Today, much more is produced on the same area, reducing pressure on sensitive ecosystems and natural resources. This already makes the Brazilian agricultural system a model of lower emissions compared to others around the world. Furthermore, regenerative practices, which improve microbiota and soil health, allow agribusiness not only to reduce emissions from the production process but also to capture more CO2.
Fertilizer has been a key component in the success of this equation. In addition to its fundamental role in crop productivity and ensuring food security, new fertilizer technologies are responding to the challenges posed by climate change. This effort is significant, given that the production and application of nitrogen fertilizers account for approximately 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to information from FAOSTAT, a data platform of the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
In this regard, Brazil also stands out, as the adoption of specialty fertilizers in the country is growing well above the global average. This includes, for example, new high-performance solutions with organic matrix components, such as seaweed extract, humic substances, and amino acids, which contribute to balanced nutrition and a better plant response to what in agronomy we call abiotic stress—the adverse effects of environmental factors such as drought and extreme temperatures.
Such nutritional solutions are helping to build crop resilience, reconciling productivity with sustainable crop development.
Recently, Brazil also became capable of producing fertilizer from renewable ammonia, made with biomethane from sugarcane residue. This is a solution in which the country has a significant opportunity to lead due to the enormous productive potential of biomass not only derived from sugarcane but also from various other agro-industries, given Brazil's diverse and extensive agricultural production. With adequate investment and regulation, such initiatives can grow significantly, transforming waste into productive wealth.
Instruments such as RenovaBio and RenovaCalc, which already link carbon credits to energy and environmental efficiency in biofuel production, including the use of more sustainable fertilizers, demonstrate that Brazil also has examples of effective recognition mechanisms that not only recognize the contribution of sugarcane and corn producers to the expansion of biofuels in the Brazilian energy matrix, but also the transition efforts they employ to reduce the carbon footprint of their crops.
Caring for soil health is the best insurance policy we have against climate change. But regenerating soil also requires regenerating human relationships. As COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, rightly pointed out in his first public letter, a collective effort against climate change is needed, "a global effort of cooperation among peoples for the progress of humanity."
Scaling these solutions to reach more and more producers and crops depends on collective action, on the engagement of all links in the value chain to support farmers in the decarbonization process and value their work in the fields. Brazilian agribusiness is a showcase for climate solutions, and COP30 is our window of opportunity to export these technologies to the world. Brazil cannot allow this window to close.
