Dario Mujica, from Santiago in Chile, has been awarded a 2023 Nuffield International Scholarship to study soil improvement strategies based on local and high-value organic inputs, supported by TIAA CREF Global Agriculture.
Dario is a founding partner and head of research and development at Abonos San Francisco, which focuses on the revaluation of organic waste to transform it into compost, soil improvers and fertilizers. Dario's role includes applied research, creating tests, promoting regenerative agricultural practices, and seeking long-term soil solutions for farmers.
Dario has a Diploma in Statistics for Agriculture from the University of Chile, a Certificate in Irrigation Monitoring at the Catholic University of Chile, and a Diploma in Plant Nutrition from the University of Concepcin. He has also spent time in Zambia, Africa, as Executive Director and agricultural project manager for the NGO 'Africa Dream Foundation' that promotes the food production and soil improvement. Dario sees a trend in agriculture using more local bio-inputs and would like to focus on this as part of his scholarship.
"There are certain local bio-inputs with the potential to improve productivity and improve soils but not enough information to validate their use and to allow us to move towards a regenerative and sustainable agriculture. I would like to visit Australia which has a national plan for soil health and sustainable innovation, the University of Davis in the USA which is doing important studies in composting and soil biology, and also visit Canada, which has created innovative ways to improve soil quality".
In his spare time, Dario enjoys playing rugby and trail running.
