40 SEPTEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL region for agriculture. But through technologies supplied by Embrapa researchers, Brazil transformed the Cerrado into one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Collaboration and information sharing between Embrapa and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) also resulted in transformative advances in minimizing tillage, resulting in significant reductions in soil erosion and conservation of soil organic carbon in both countries. The Fertilize 4 Life Initiative In 2022, through its FAS office, U.S. Embassy Brasília recruited four world-class institutions—Embrapa, ARS, the University of Florida, and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)—to join forces to develop research projects that will improve fertilizer-use efficiency. The institutions named this U.S.-Brazil collaboration the Fertilize 4 Life Initiative (F4L). The F4L researchers developed four research streams to improve fertilizer-use efficiency: (1) improve precision management, big data, and artificial intelligence; (2) strengthen biological products, soil biology, and soil health; (3) create new products, including biofertilizers and biostimulants; and (4) make more efficient use of existing nutrient sources through integrated systems. The initiative was officially launched at the 50th anniversary ceremony of Embrapa on April 26, 2023, in Brasília. F4L could profoundly influence world agriculture by developing new technologies that increase fertilizer-use efficiency, reduce nutrient losses to the environment, and improve farmer profitability. The research will also lead to more efficient fertilizer application recommendations. F4L will help reduce dependency on imports, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and advance sustainable agricultural systems in Brazil, the United States, and worldwide. Africa, in particular, could directly benefit from this research because the soils in Africa are very similar to Brazil. Scientists from the participating institutions see tremendous potential in the F4L Initiative. “Innovative research is fundamental to overcoming the challenges of food insecurity and climate change,” says Silvia Massruha, president of Embrapa. COURTESY OF MICHAEL CONLON COURTESY OF MICHAEL CONLON University of Florida Professor Jose Dubeux tours a farm in the Cerrado, May 2024. Embrapa’s Dr. Ieda Mendes at her lab at Embrapa Cerrados in June 2024.
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