On May 14th, the World Food Programme (WFP) Centre of Excellence against Hunger Brazil took part in the panel “risks and opportunities for agribusiness”, which took place during the 20th edition of Agrobalsas, in the city of Balsas, Maranhão.
Organised by the Northern Export Corridor Research Support Foundation (FAPCEN, in Portuguese), the expo, whose theme is “The miracle in the Cerrado”, brings together specialists, technicians, rural producers and other key players to discuss how to produce food and guarantee food security for the population in balance with preserving the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, while at the same time promoting the social development of the people who work in the countryside.
Currently, around 738 million people are hungry worldwide, while the food that is lost and wasted could feed 1.2 billion people. This shows that agri-food systems, in other words, the networks needed to produce and process food and ensure that it reaches consumers, need to undergo adaptations to improve their performance and resilience, as well as their ability to feed a growing population.
Given this scenario, the Partnership Officer of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger Brazil, Joelcio Carvalho, presented the work carried out by the Centre, as well as ways of integrating productive activities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Brazilian agriculture plays an important role in achieving the SDG targets by 2030, and everyone who is part of this sector needs to understand their role in adopting best practices, such as the proper use of inputs and soils. Brazil has positive experiences, but these productive practices still need to be expanded,” explained Joelcio.
The Partnership Officer also pointed out that “the work carried out in Maranhão shows that there is a way for all the players to come together to contribute to and achieve the goals set by the SDGs and Agrobalsas is an excellent space for this dialogue”.
Also taking part in the panel were FAPCEN superintendent Gisela Introvini, Malta’s honorary consul, Thales Castro, and livestock expert Maurone Cangussu, who presented different perspectives and paths towards sustainable development in agriculture.
The Agrobalsas schedule continues until 20 May.