Gilberto Kassab, the minister of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications, opened on October 18, in the head office of ministry, located in Brasília, the 13th National Week of Science and Technology, which takes place on October 17 to 23, throughout Brazil, with the topic “Science feeding Brazil”. The opening was broadcasted via internet by the live video broadcasting of RNP and reached more than 2 thousand accesses. In addition, more than 60 hospitals members of Telemedicine University Network (Rute) were simultaneously connected through videoconference.

Kassab complimented the topic choice because believes the debates contribute to appreciation of the Brazilian agricultural research. “It’s obvious that the existence of a topic deepen discussions about the possibilities of the government support initiatives that bring more food safety to the country, more efficiently to our agricultural model and, thus, contribute to the country recovery and development.”

In his words, discussions of SNCT should generate an exchange of knowledge, which in the future would help in building a master plan capable of entailing additional investments to research in food. “This will be the great contribution provided to the matter, by associating initiatives across the country, whether they are relevant to the actions of this ministry, supported by the federal government, or even those that happen in isolation, but deserve our support, our applause and our recognition.”

Jailson de Andrade, secretary of the Ministry Research and Development Policies and Programs, emphasized that SNCT honors, this year, the agricultural engineer Johanna Döbereiner (1924-2000), Czech citizen, naturalized Brazilian, responsible for developing the biological nitrogen fixation technology in pulses soil.” Johanna Döbereiner was an amazing person, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize of Chemistry”, he said.

Jailson presented the history and the first publication of the Global Network of Education, Research and Extension in Nutrition, Sovereignty and Food and Nutritional Security (NutriSSAN) technology platform opened on August 4th, in Rio de Janeiro, eve of the opening of the Olympic Games. The MCTIC developed the tool supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and in partnership with the Brazilian National Research and Educational Network (RNP). The proposal is to connect researchers from several countries to improve the nutrition of people all over the world.

The choice of SNCT topic aligns to the decision of the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations of declaring 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). Thus, the MCTIC established partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) to conduct scientific outreach and education events all units of the institution throughout the country.

According to the executive-officer of Embrapa’s Research and Development, Ladislau Martin Neto, recent studies show that 70% of Brazilian agricultural growth is due to the technology while the work would be responsible for 20% and the earth, 10%. “Although we are provided with a continental country, with soil, water and favorable weather conditions, technology is the decisive factor for maintaining a thriving agriculture and Brazil have its food and nutrition security.”

Read more at the MCTIC's website (in Portuguese).

Photograph: MCTIC.