Union of 4 entities: Andef, ABCBio, Agrobio, CIB forms CropLife Brasil

 

CropLife Brasil was launched on 31st October to foster innovation and technology in the field, making it accessible to both large and small producers, as well as to provide more information to the general public to demystify misconceptions regarding agribusiness.

 

CropLife Brasil has teamed up with four entities working in the sectors of pesticides, biotechnology and seeds: the National Association of Plant Protection (Andef), the Brazilian Association of Biological Control Companies (ABCBio), the Association of Biotechnology Companies in Agriculture and Agro-Industry (AgroBio), and the Biotechnology Information Council (CIB). These entities will not exist together in one form, but will unify their working committees on the same project.

 

“This unification movement had been under discussion for three years and involved business, political and administrative processes. Agro will have an opportunity to spread information and communication. We will introduce all these issues to producers and society as a whole,” said Christian Lohbauer, CEO of CropLife Brazil.

 

He added that the new association will bring together various topics, such as research and innovation focusing on productivity and sustainability. Germplasm, plant defense, technology, biotechnology and digital agriculture are other themes that will guide the scope of CropLife Brazil.

 

CropLife was founded in 2001 in Belgium and currently has offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Its unit in Brazil comprises 14 companies as founders and another 29 are already adhering to the idea, with the potential to reach 40.

 

The project’s various working committees will begin their work in November, to create a strategic plan and a strong proposal related to agro communication and good agricultural practices. The alignment and unification of the proposals of each separate entity will be consolidated by 2020.

 

“The producer already utilizes all the available tools, such as pesticides, seeds and technology, in a unified way in the field, but a combined dialogue is missing. Integrating field technologies through good practice is critical. We have to communicate more with the general public and the government, so information is correctly spread. We want a competitive, safe and innovative agriculture,” said Eduardo Leduc, president of the advisory board of CropLife Brasil.

 

The company also announced that free face-to-face courses will be offered to educate and train farmers, society and even children in schools, to disseminate the correct information on the latest technologies and best practices in sustainable food production.

 

“Today we are living in an era of fear, when there will be no more forests, water supplies will be depleted, and diseases previously eradicated will return. And all these things are happening during a time when we have more easily-available information. Amazingly, it is a time when we also have more misinformation. How will agriculture get out of this? An institution such as CropLife Brasil has an advantage and can complement others. The producer will gain data transparency. We will conduct training to explain what pesticides are and how they work and which is a seed that is treated, so people can be informed and have no doubt about what they are eating,” Lohbauer added.