Yara signs partnership with Embrapa to recover Rio Grande do Sul soil

Yara, a company in the plant nutrition sector, has entered into a partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) to support the Recupera Rural RS Program. 

The institution leads the program, which focuses on the sustainable agricultural recovery of Rio Grande do Sul. 

The agreement, announced during the 35th Official Opening of the Rice and Grain Harvest in Lowlands on March 18, involves Yara contributing R$450,000 to the initiative and transferring knowledge and technology in nutritional solutions aimed at building more resilient and sustainable food systems.

″Through this partnership, we further deepen our relationship with Embrapa to disseminate best practices based on science and support producers in facing the effects of climate change. This action in Rio Grande do Sul is very important for us, as it reinforces how committed we remain to the reconstruction and prosperity of the state, which is one of the largest agricultural powers in the country, where we have our roots, where we began our history in Brazil,″ said Deise DallaNora, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Yara. Since the floods in 2024, Yara has already mobilized more than R$2.5 million in its resources and fundraising to support recovery efforts in Rio Grande do Sul.

As part of Recupera Rural RS, in collaboration between Embrapa, Emater/RS – Ascar, and other partners, emergency actions have already been promoted to support rural producers, in addition to extensive work to map the extent of the damage, impacts, and solutions for the recovery of agri-food systems, forestry, and rural landscapes in Rio Grande do Sul. Yara's support for the initiative coincides with the moment in which the program begins its structural actions, which include Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) projects in areas essential for mitigating the effects of extreme climate events.

At this stage, the work will focus on four priority areas of the large Taquari-Antas and Baixo Jacuí River Basins, including the implementation of Technological Reference Units (UTRs) to demonstrate appropriate technologies for soil recovery, erosion control, and vegetation restoration in areas considered sensitive and the training of technicians and farmers. The proposal is that the actions in the priority regions can serve as a model and basis for planning and replication in other affected areas in the state.

"Recupera Rural RS is a collaborative initiative that brings together several institutions in a joint effort to promote the socio-productive recovery of Rio Grande do Sul. Proposed by Embrapa in partnership with several entities, the initiative aims to restore degraded areas, recover soil fertility, and strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems. The actions were planned in 2023 through a collaborative platform that involved seven Embrapa Units in Southern Brazil. In 2024, in view of the challenges imposed by a climate event, Recupera Rural RS was effectively implemented. Yara joins this movement to promote and continue the previously established actions, contributing to the sustainable recovery of the state," added Rosane Martinazzo, deputy head of Research and Development at Embrapa Clima Temperado.