2nd Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, the Fight Against Hunger, and Rural Development

Delegates from 40 African countries attending the Dialogue went on a field trip to EMBRAPA’s practical technology and innovation demonstration fields in Petrolina. Petrolina is a semi-arid region with some of the poorest soils and lowest rainfall levels in Brazil. EMBRAPA operates five experimental research fields in the area, covering a total of 2,900 hectares.

Through the application of science and innovative techniques, the region has been transformed into a major food-producing area. It now supports the cultivation of various crops, orchards, horticulture, and livestock ranches. One of the most remarkable achievements is the region’s water management system. Underground reservoirs are constructed to capture and store rainwater for use during the eight-month dry season, during which temperatures can reach nearly 45 degrees Celsius. These reservoirs support a system of drip irrigation that supplies crops and orchards with precisely measured volumes of water.

EMBRAPA also operates a Fisheries Research Centre in Petrolina.

In the areas of crop production, horticulture, and aquaculture, EMBRAPA empowers rural families and smallholder farmers through capacity building, access to superior genetics, adoption of best agronomic practices, value addition, and improved market access and linkages. Over the years, EMBRAPA has released six new cultivars that are resistant to root nematodes, drought, and high temperatures, and that offer high yields.

Currently, an experiment is underway to explore the use of tuna cactus as animal feed.