Announcing the 2017 Nuffield International Scholars

Carla Mayara Borges, from Chapadão do Céu, Goiás, in Brazil, has been awarded a 2017 Nuffield International Scholarship, supported by TIAA-CREF Global Agriculture LLC and TIAA-CREF Global Agriculture II LLC, which are managed by TIAA-CREF Global Asset Management.

Carla selected from a field of excellent applicants from the USA, Brazil, Australia and Chile to join a unique global network of farmers and agri-professionals who develop and disseminate practical research on topics of critical industry importance.

Carla will study farming and technology, with emphasis on technology solutions for machinery maintenance and inventory management of parts relevant to the Brazilian agricultural industry.

Carla is involved her family farming business “Fazendas Nova Geração”, which produces soybeans, corn, sorghum and cotton in the mid-west of Brazil. She led and now manages the development of a degraded pasture-based farm into a cropping enterprise in the state of Mato Grosso, and has a whole-of-business role in professionalising farming and business processes and systems to achieve efficiencies.

"My family moved up from the south to mid-west Brazil in the 1980's, and when I was born, my family had a small farm in the state of Goiás. We have been growing over the years and use a lot of technology in our fields. I believe that now is the time to use technology to improve the management of assets."

After graduating from university, I spent my first two years in the family businesses working in different roles to get an overall appreciation of the production and business aspects of family farming, and to understand the demands of a scaled operation.

"I see a lot of technology adopted at the production level, when compared to the workshop and management level. Preventive processes regarding machinery maintenance, including the control of parts is currently a profitability bottleneck, and I believe farm businesses of all scales can achieve efficiencies and cost-savings through reduced breakdowns and lost time, and better spare parts management."

"This came to the forefront for me, when I moved to a frontier area in Mato Grosso by myself to develop land for cropping. Grain production in Brazil is a race against the clock, especially during field operations as we planting two or three crops per year in developing regions that have limited infrastructure, labour and access to other resources. Scheduling maintenance and having access to parts when required presented a huge challenge, exacerbated by the wide range of machinery required for the range of crops in the rotation, and remoteness from a regional services centre. Time lost waiting for mechanics to come on-farm for electronic diagnosis, often with further delays waiting for parts to be sourced and arrive all result in an absurd expense of time and money."

"Many farm businesses in Brazil have a cash flow of millions of dollars and fewer processes than a sandwich franchise, and if they have, they are very informal. Machinery suppliers might not see the importance of improving farm-level efficiencies for fleet management, however I see industry-scale benefits resulting from on-farm professionalization and systemisation."

"My Nuffield research will focus on practical solutions to streamline machinery management that will bring benefits to all in the services and supply chain. With my scholarship, I will look for cost-effective technological solutions for grain production businesses and bring efficiencies at an industry level. They cannot be expensive and complicated, just effective and in the language the operator understands."

"My aim is to bring real solutions to my country, and contribute in a meaningful way to my sector. I participate in many “new generation” farming groups in Brazil, so the new perspectives and knowledge I gather through the Nuffield network can be quickly disseminated and absorbed within our sector to turn this research into reality."

Carla is graduated in Business Administration with double degree at FAE Business School from Curitiba - Brazil and at the University of Applied Sciences Münster - Germany.

To carry out her research, Carla will travel to Japan, the USA, UK, Indonesia, Singapore and Israel.

This scholarship is kindly supported by TIAA-CREF Global Agriculture LLC and TIAA-CREF Global Agriculture II LLC which are managed by TIAA-CREF Global Asset Management.

Investors

  

Dover-area poultry farmer Georgie Cartanza is the first American to receive a Nuffield International Scholarship, one of 90 farmers from around the world to participate in the global agricultural scholarship program.

Cartanza, who recently began work as poultry extension specialist with the University of Delaware, will be spending 16 weeks overseas studying farming technology and production efficiencies.

She will travel to China, Brazil, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and The Netherlands, learning about topics including production needs, extreme climates, consumer demands, food safety and organic poultry transitions.

"There have been many advances in farming and technology over the last 20 years, but we still face challenges to maintain profitability and sustainability," Cartanza said.

"It is critical that we understand new technology and that it's applied properly. It can be financially devastating for a farmer to make an investment and not see a return. I want to learn how farmers in other countries have solved some of these challenges and share that knowledge with others."

The Nuffield International Scholarship, supported locally by the Delaware Department of Agriculture and Mid Atlantic Farm Credit, provides participants with a unique opportunity to research a specific issue in other parts of the world.

"Past participants have been from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, France and The Netherlands. Cartanza is the first from the United States."

"It's great to have the first American hail from Delaware for this prestigious program," said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee."

"Georgie Cartanza will do us all proud with her research and exploration of these issues."

Kee has assisted with the development of a Nuffield program in the United States since 2014, and will become president of the Nuffield USA board upon his retirement in January, an unpaid volunteer position.

Cartanza has worked with poultry for more than 20 years, including time with Mountaire and Perdue. She has raised poultry on her farm near Dover for the last ten years, and has raised organic chickens since April 2015. She began her new position as UD poultry extension agent on 1st December and will continue to farm.

Nuffield Scholars participate in a week-long conference in March in Brazil and then spend six or seven weeks traveling internationally with other Scholars, known as the Global Focus Program. The Scholars will visit Washington, D.C., New York, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, France and New Zealand. Participants then spend seven or eight weeks on their individual research projects.

Investors

        

Kathryn Stack, former Managing Director of Europêche – the representative body for fishermen in the European Union and seven-year policy veteran of the European Parliament – has been awarded a 2017 Nuffield International Farming Scholarship.

Following a rigorous application process, Ms. Stack has been chosen from a field of quality applicants as the successful candidate for a scholarship, enabling her to travel overseas to broaden her knowledge and professional network.

She will undertake 16-weeks of research to determine how fisheries policy is influenced across various countries, with emphasis on the role of industry associations.

She will focus on an analysis of the roles played by the different fishing associations, the powerful role of the environmental lobby, how a more rigid EU policy compares to other nations, and how all of this compares to other primary production sectors.

She views this opportunity as very timely.

"My research will be taking place against the backdrop of an unprecedented structural change in fisheries policy following Brexit; which will provide a unique opportunity for British fisheries to shape their own policy; offering an appropriate case study", says Kathryn.

"Unlike other fishing nations, the very nature of the EU system means we have a common, harmonised fisheries policy, yet paradoxically, a fragmented and sovereign approach to foreign relations."

"The findings of my study would change the sector's current approach to engaging with decision-making bodies and boost engagement with foreign counterparts" she says.

Kathryn’s scholarship is being funded by the Atlantis Fisheries Consulting Group and the Nuffield International Foundation Fund.

Jim Geltch, Chief Executive Officer of Nuffield International, says the selectors were very impressed with Kathryn's motivation to learn more and subsequent longer-term drive for change in the fisheries sector.

"Kathryn’s background and knowledge of European fisheries, EU policy-making and fisheries management are great assets,", he said.

"Capturing and selecting Scholars from the fisheries industry is an ongoing commitment of Nuffield as it has historically proved highly successful in bringing new technologies, production methods, leadership and policy change to the sector."

"Leadership is at the heart of the Nuffield program and we know Kathryn will carry out the research diligently, provide real benefits for the sector and be an excellent ambassador for fisheries outside Europe", he says.

A Nuffield Farming Scholarship provides a unique opportunity for individuals to travel overseas on a research scholarship relating to agriculture or fisheries, and it is the leading agricultural scholarship program worldwide.

Ms. Stack will commence her Nuffield Scholarship in 2017, attending the seven-day, intensive Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC), which will take place in Brazil in March.

Following the CSC, she will embark on a Global Focus Program (GFP), a six/seven-week intensive program of travel for groups of ten fellow Nuffield Scholars of diverse nationalities and agricultural professions.

The GFP provides insight into farming policy and practice in the six or seven countries visited by the group, and is considered by Nuffield International to provide a valuable experience in the personal development of the Scholars.

On completion of the GFP, Ms. Stack will travel on her own eight/nine-week program focusing on her chosen topic, which will be followed by the dissemination of the research findings to her industry.

"I truly believe that my findings could form the basis of a real and honest debate into how the EU fishing sector engages with decision-making bodies, and what lessons can be learned from elsewhere", Kathryn says.

"Nuffield and this scholarship has the potential to radically change not only my work but the European industry as a whole as it will allow me to connect the different approaches and strategies used by other nations to the European system"

For her research, Kathryn will visit British Colombia, New Zealand, the USA, Norway, Iceland and Australia.

Murilo Martins F. Bettarello, from Franca in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, has been awarded the inaugural 2017 Nuffield International Scholarship supported by Nufarm Indústria Química e Farmacêutica.

Murilo was selected from a field of excellent of Brazilian applicants to join a unique global network of farmers and agri-professionals who develop and disseminate practical research on topics of critical industry importance.

Murilo will study farming and technology, with emphasis on how digital agriculture and internet can help spread and deliver agricultural knowledge to farmers around the world.

Murilo is an agronomist, and a consultant and founding partner of ViaVerde, a tropical agriculture consultancy that operates across Brazil and into other parts of South America. Murilo runs projects with NGO´s, government and farmers that improve productivity, traceability and quality.

Murilo also is the CEO and founder of IZagro, a platform that uses mobile and internet technology to bundle knowledge and information for farmers in a cheap and smarter way. He sees IZagro as a key space for smaller farmers in particular to improve efficiencies and access to best practice knowledge.

"The nature of my business is to empower farmers to make better decisions with a solid information base," says Murilo.

"I’ve been working with cattle production in our family business since I was 13 years old, and working now as a consultant across Brazil and South America, I see the importance of empirical and practical information for on-farm decisions. Bringing this information together is the challenge, and many farmers do not have the skills or access to consolidated, independent information and instead opt for advice from distributors and resellers, which could have different objectives."

"With my scholarship, I will look for inspiration in different parts of the world and bring knowledge to create and adapt systems that use digital farming and internet technology to deliver more information in a simple way that benefits Brazilian farmers," he says.

Over the past 16 years, Murilo, together with the ViaVerde team, have trained 2.000 agronomy professionals with practical knowledge and skills to adopt best production practices and drive productivity gains with an emphasis on business sustainability. Within 6 months, IZagro has achieved more than 15.000 downloads, and with increasing popularity Murilo is enthusiastic about the potential of this start-up company to help farmers.

"I will research how technical assistance works in countries that have many small farmers like India, countries like Israel with intensive systems and high-technology, and to visit major agtech hubs like companies in Silicon Valley (USA)," he says.

"My main goal is make technical agronomic information simpler and more available so a wide range of farmers can make smarter decisions in the field."

Murilo graduated as an agronomic engineer at Universidade de São Paulo, and has post-graduate degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, also at Universidade de São Paulo.

He relishes new technology and new ideas, and sees a huge potential for small farmers and families in Brazil to access relevant and independent information, and link with research and innovation centres such as universities and leading companies.

"I plan to adapt simple and affordable technological solutions that can be widespread amongst Brazilian producers, helping them to save resources and empower then to make better decisions," he says.

"I will work in partnership with multi-national companies and universities to develop ways to spread these technologies to small producers, and am interested in seeing how we can draw on our existing networks and extension infrastructure to include practical digital tools that support farmer decision-making."

To carry out his research, Murilo plans to travel to India, USA, Israel and Japan.

This scholarship is kindly supported by Nufarm Indústria Química e Farmacêutica. Present in Brazil for 55 years, Nufarm offers innovative and competitive solutions to the rural producer. Founded in Melbourne, Australia, it operates in more than 100 countries, employs around 3,000 people and markets a portfolio of 228 high-tech active ingredients. In Brazil, Nufarm maintains a manufacturing unit in the state of Ceara, in addition to eight distribution centres located in the states of Bahia, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná, São Paulo and Tocantins.

Investors

  

Thato Moagi aged 25, a farmer in Limpopo Province, was recently chosen as the successful candidate for a Nuffield International Farming Scholarship, which will enable her to travel overseas to broaden her knowledge of agriculture.

Ms Moagi, who is Managing Director of Legae La Banareng Farms near Modimolle, was unanimously approved by Nuffield International’s selection panel.

Ms Moagi has chosen as her study topic: “Exploring Integrated Beef Production Models”. Whilst beef production is a very small part of her own farm, she says that it has great potential in her region of the Limpopo.

"The area is highly suited to beef farming, and is well-connected to markets"

"My aim is to develop Legae La Banareng Farms into a mega farm that will demonstrate the livestock and crop integrated model that I intend to research and develop during the Nuffield experience."

Her vision is to generate a ‘hub and spoke’ model, which will have the potential to benefit many emerging farmers in her region.

Ms Moagi is only the third person in the world to receive a Nuffield International Scholarship, which are awarded to individuals in countries where there Nuffield does not have a Trust in operation. The previous two recipients (in 2015 and 2016) are Brazilians.

Chairman of Scholar selection panel, Canadian farmer Kelvin Meadows - a 2011 Nuffield Scholar – says:

"Thato left all of us on the selection panel in no doubt that she is a first-rate candidate for a Nuffield Scholarship. She demonstrated maturity well beyond her years and impressed us with her ambition for both the development of her own farm, and her career beyond the farm looking further ahead."

Chief Executive Officer of Nuffield International Jim Geltch added:

"We at Nuffield are very excited that our ambition to appoint a South African Scholar has become a reality".

"Nuffield Scholars have been including this amazing country on their own travels for many years and from their reporting back it’s been clear for a long time that their innovation and energy in farming here, so for some time we have wanted to bring its farmers into our global network of Nuffield Farming Scholars" said Mr Geltch

"For the past three years, we have included South Africa in the Global Focus Program and through this we have made some good friends within the country who have been a huge help in finding local sponsorship and potential candidates for a South African Nuffield Scholarship."

Ms. Moagi will commence her Nuffield Scholarship in 2017, starting with attending the Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC), which this year will take place in Brazil in March.

Immediately after the Conference, she will embark on a Global Focus Program (GFP), a 6-7-week intensive program of travel for groups of around ten fellow Nuffield Scholars of diverse nationalities and agricultural professions. The GFP provides insight into farming policy and practice in the approximately six countries visited by the group, and is considered by Nuffield International to provide a valuable experience in the personal development of the Scholars - many of whom hitherto have had scarce opportunity to be absent from their farm/workplace.

On completion of the GFP, Ms Moagi will then finalise her own program of travel to study her chosen topic; for this she will travel for several months to countries to meet and interview farmers and technical experts.

The final leg of her Nuffield year will be to present her findings at the Nuffield International Conference and submit a written report on her topic.

As well as using their newly acquired knowledge to develop their own businesses, Nuffield Scholars are also encouraged to share with fellow farmers the knowledge they have acquired - such as presenting their findings at local conferences, and contributing articles to relevant publications.

Ms. Moagi's Abbreviated CV:

- Tertiary education: BSc Plant Science, University of Pretoria. Graduated 2013.

- Legae La Banareng Farms: Mixed farm, primarily focused on producing grains (yellow and white maize) and vegetables - principally supplying local markets, including Pick n’ Pay and Spar.

- Thato is MD and principal shareholder, responsible for daily operations.

- She also derives an income stream through consulting and training services.

- She is secretary of Waterberg Women Farmers Association, and a member of the African Farmers Association of South Africa, and Bosveld Dorper Club.