Brazil’s agri research champion Embrapa is said to be under attack

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is a global reference for tropical agriculture.

Even during the PT’s previous stints in power, when the word “state-owned” almost became synonymous with scandal, Embrapa kept itself shielded.

However, the Lula government’s new choices for the institution worry its employees.

The pressure to approve these choices has reached the ears of federal congresswoman Adriana Ventura (Novo-SP).

In an interview with Revista Oeste, the congresswoman reported that the agency’s president was removed from office before completing his term.

She also said that the current members of Embrapa‘s board of directors (Consad) are being pressured to approve the new board.

“The board members are being pressured to approve the new directors of the company,” said Adriana.

“I am not necessarily saying that these directors are incompetent, but as a public company, the criteria for choice should be technical, not political.”

EMBRAPA’S NEW PRESIDENT

In 50 years of existence, 14 presidents have commanded the state-owned company.

Only three of them did not have a degree in agronomy.

They are José Irineu Cabral, Silvio Crestana and Silvia Maria Fonseca Silveira Massruhá.

Cabral was the first president of the company.

Crestana held the position from 2005 to 2009 – the first time Lula was in power.

Silvia took office in May of this year after Crestana declined the invitation from the president to return to the command of the state-owned company.

She has a degree in System Development Analysis from PUC, a course related to computing.

The choice of Silvia displeased some sectors of the state company.

Sources heard by Revista Oeste referred to the president as “unprepared for the job”.

One high-ranking official said that her performance as a researcher was poor.

She headed Embrapa Digital, based in Campinas, from July 2015 to January 2022.

Of the state-owned company’s 43 research centers, this unit is among the least engaged with rural production.

Because they are inside Unicamp, they are considered very theoretical.

A MILITANT BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

Among the major concerns, one stands out: as the institution has branches all over the national territory, Silvia would not have enough knowledge of the company’s intricacies to command it.

The appointment would aim to open the doors to “a cadre of PT directors in the state-owned company”.

The list is formed by four names: Alderi Clenio Nailto Pillon (Research and Innovation directorate), Emídio de Araújo (Governance and Management), Selma Lúcia Lira Beltrão (People, Services and Finance), and Ana Margarida Castro Euler (Business) – the only one approved so far by the Consad.

According to the state company, “the other candidates are still in the evaluation process, in which they will still present their work plans after recommendations from the councilors.”

Researcher Ana Margarida received the group’s approval on Friday, 12.

She is linked to La Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, an institute linked to the French government, and has held a management position at WWF-Brazil.

Both institutions fight against Brazilian agribusiness.

Embrapa’s research has helped revolutionize Brazilian agribusiness.

Thanks to the company, for example, it was possible to plant in the Brazilian cerrado – a region with fertile soil that became the planet’s granary.

The main pillars of the state-owned company were the heavy investment in scientific development allied to the day-to-day practice in the field.

Another triumph that contributed to its success was the non-interference of the state in its functions.

If this isolation is broken, Embrapa’s future will be seriously compromised.

With information from Revista Oeste

News Brazil, English news Brazil, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)