The young Brazilian Farmers who are changing agribusiness with sustainability

The young Brazilian Farmers are leading the future changes in agribusiness. The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) recommended six representatives of the CNA Youth program to join other young leaders from around the world in a special forum within the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). Two of them are preparing for a travel to Germany in January.

Ana Carolina Zimmermann and Lucas Dierings will represent their country in a forum dedicated to young leaders. They will join a group of 20 young leaders to find sustainable and innovative solutions to one of the most significant challenges for the global food situation: “Sustainable Land Use: Food Security Starts with the Soil.”

Their cooperation will begin online with meetings held from November 2021 to January 2022. The 20 participants from around the globe will exchange ideas and experiences to prepare and draft a declaration including their concerns, demands, and recommendations to agricultural policymakers.

Both Ana Carolina and Lucas stood out in the CNA Youth program, a CNA initiative to promote entrepreneurial leadership among young people and challenge them to transform realities in the agricultural sector. Lucas is already excited to share some of his skills with the world: “Brazil is the most sustainable country in the world when it comes to agribusiness. Besides, we have advanced technological and innovative skills. This is possible because we work a lot. We work to feed the world with awareness. And we are only beginning.”

Get to know our young leaders:

Ana Carolina Zimmermann

“My goal is to talk with society, in favor of sustainable agriculture, also being present in events not traditionally related to agribusiness like in the areas of innovation, health, and environment. CNA Youth has already transformed us. It’s time for us, as young leaders, to transform Brazil into an acknowledged agri-environmental power.”

The winner of our CNA Youth program is responsible for a cattle farm in Goiás, central Brazil. She implements sustainable and innovative practices to the point that her family business is already a reference in the region. She also stands out as a leader in initiatives that create a safe space for dialogue on sustainable food systems, like the Tagarelo Podcast and the FEED workshop.

Lucas Dierings

“The soil has the potential to be restored. Several alternatives are possible and feasible, contributing to a more sustainable food system. In Brazil, we use some alternatives for soil restoration and preservation, according to the region and culture. It is time for young people to begin taking over the farms and leading another revolution in agriculture.”

The agricultural engineer from South Brazil is engaged with technological solutions to make rural producers more efficient and sustainable in their businesses. Lucas is also the president of an organization that trains young leaders and develops social projects. Like Ana Carolina, he creates spaces for dialogue on his Agro Jovem podcast, as well as helps other producers with their business in the eProdutor company.

José Carlos de Pádua

“Due to the recent transformation in our land use, it is very important to change degraded pasture into crop areas. A young mentality is required to continue and we will be players of this fundamental role in the future.”

The veterinarian is the head of SENAR’s Technical Team, leading a group of 140 technical assistants and advising 3,500 farmers in Mato Grosso do Sul, central Brazil. José Carlos also makes technical studies, field surveys, crop mappings, and statistical analyses about agricultural production in the region. He is also involved in initiatives aiming to link agriculture and school disciplines to promote the insertion of young people in the sector while developing multidisciplinary visions for knowledge.

Julia Cristina Campos Álvares da Silva

“For me, sustainability, as well as animal welfare and good management, are areas on which I want to continue working in the farm and be able to strengthen even more. I want to learn more about them and be able to influence other farmers to do the same.”

As a young leader, Julia stood out in the CNA Youth program for her oratory skills and engagement in carrying out actions that aimed to seek solutions to expand the market share of outstanding products from the agribusiness to Brazilian capitals. She also manages a cattle farm in Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil.

Nayara Magalhães Gonçalves

“We believe the future of food production around the world is biotechnological and we are in constant learning, being more efficient, and finding out ways to explain that the soil has a huge system of microorganisms that we also need to take care of.”

The young veterinarian was the 2020/2021 CNA Youth program winner thanks to her leadership skills in relevant initiatives. With her team, Nayara created the Bio-input Intelligence Center (BIC), which represents a network of contacts linked to bio-inputs, with educational actions that aim to connect research to the field, spreading its use and enabling producers to continue to sustainably feed the country and the world.

Lucas Ingold

“The Sustainable Use of Land is not an isolated issue. It calls for joint global action. I would like to collaborate, demonstrating what I see in my country and taking the view that Brazilian youth is concerned with sustainability and understands its importance.”

The young agronomist is passionate about agriculture and the people who work on it, as shown by his recent work. With his team, Lucas proposed an initiative called Sustentar.e – Connecting Experiences, whose goal is to add the sustainable marketing dimension to the goods produced by rural producers assisted by SENAR’s technical assistance program. Today, he works directly with the technical crew giving new information and representing young farmers in Mato Grosso do Sul, central Brazil.