Dados do Trabalho

Título

CENTER FOR CARBON RESEARCH IN TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (CCARBON)

Resumo

Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of food, feed, fiber and (bio)fuel. Estimates indicated that the country would need to increase its food production by 40% to meet global demands by 2050. Meanwhile, tropical agricultural systems must contribute to sequester carbon (C), reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently, mitigate climate changes. In this context, our aim is to present the Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON), a new research center launched in 2023, hosted at ESALQ/USP, and associated with the Dean’s office of the University of São Paulo. The CCARBON is sponsored by the São Paulo Research Foundation. Public-private partnerships have also been established to co-fund and accelerate the center. The CCARBON mission is to develop innovative solutions and strategies on carbon-based sustainable tropical agriculture to mitigate climate change and improve living standards and conditions. Our vision is to be recognized as a world-class center, leader in low-C tropical agriculture and qualification of human resources through research, innovation, and dissemination activities. To achieve the CCARBON’s goals, strategic, multidisciplinary, and innovative research lines will cover five major areas: soil, plant, animal, atmosphere, and digital tools. For that, CCARBON has more than 40 associated researchers and about 80 approved scholarships. It is also embedded in an innovative ecosystem to support discoveries and new technologies. We designed multiple strategies to actively disseminate the knowledge and innovations, contributing to farmers and stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices, as well as creating low-C public awareness, and supporting the elaboration of public policies. We expect to develop and implement solutions to increase sustainable agri-food production in tropical agrosystems. The outcomes will pave the way towards a low-C economy and promote sustainable social development in the upcoming decades.

Palavras-chave

Sustainable agriculture; Carbon sequestration, Greenhouse gas emission, Climate change mitigation.

Instituição financiadora

São Paulo Research Foundation (Process # 21/10573-4)