Vanessa Chiamulera, from Mato Grosso in Brazil, receives a 2021 Nuffield International Scholarship supported by Bayer. For her scholarship, Vanessa will study different sustainable alternatives in agriculture to optimise productivity and mitigate the environmental impacts of activity.
Vanessa is Process Manager of 'Grupo Morena' a family-based 9,500-ha farm producing soy, corn, cattle and eucalyptus, and grain warehouse services. With more than 60 employees, there is a strong focus on sustainability, respecting social, environmental and economic outcomes. On-farm production activities include no tillage, crop rotation, integration of livestock-farming-forestry, traceability, photovoltaic energy and garbage recycling.
Grupo Morena also has a project called "Open Field Academy," opening its doors to visitors including farmers, schools, universities, technical experts and international visitors.
Vanessa says that every day new techniques are developed to improve farm production, but these must be combined with sustainable practices.
"Alternatives such as integrated production, inclusion of new technology and capacity-building for people can make a big difference to agriculture," she says.
"I believe that sustainable production is the biggest challenge for our sector. Producing food for a growing population is vital, but it is also our responsibility to implement creative, simple and innovative methods that are socially, environmentally and economically responsible.
"Brazil is a country with very preserved natural resources, and I believe it is possible to optimise resources, preserve and produce at the same time, while improving the life of people working in this sector."
For her research, Vanessa will visit the Netherlands as they have made a national commitment to produce twice as much food using half the resources. She will also visit Israel, Japan and Singapore.
Vanessa has a Degree in Business Administration from the University of Mato Grosso State (UNEMAT) and an MBA in Agribusiness Management by ESALQ in University of Sao Paulo. She is also a member of a livestock working group (GTPS) to encourage sustainable practices and is involved in "Agri Hub," which shares new technologies and supports start-ups connected to agriculture. The farm business is also involved in an international social movement called "Giving Tuesday," donating not just money but also time to children to teach them about farming and the environment.
ABOUT BAYER
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For information on Bayer's work in agriculture, visit https://www.cropscience.bayer.com/.
