Former Minister of Agriculture - Brazil

Mr. Paolinelli is is an agronomist from the Escola Superior de Agricultura de Lavras, where he was also a professor of Hydraulics, Irrigation and Drainage and director. He took over the Minas Gerais Department of Agriculture in 1971 with the challenge of implementing a new production matrix based on the incorporation of technology and policies to stimulate credit for modernization. Such work is considered the cradle of tropical agriculture. In 1974, he became minister of Agriculture and opened a period of striking policies for the sector and for the development of the Brazilian Midwest, by creating the governance structures that ensured the expansion of the sustainable tropical agricultural revolution. He also structured Embrapa and attracted the best minds from universities and technical assistance agencies. As a constituent deputy, he worked to place the pillars for a competitive, sustainable and inclusive agriculture in the Constitution. Today he conducts the Tropical Biomes project and co-articulates the technological bases for the new agricultural revolution with science organizations from all over the planet. In 2021, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

President of Embrapa

Mr. Moretti obtained a degree in Agronomy at Universidade Federal de Viçosa, with a specialization course in Production Engineering from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. He holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Crop Production from Universidade Federal de Viçosa. He has spearheaded both national and international projects. He was an Associate Professor of the Human Nutrition Department at Universidade de Brasília (UnB), a Guest Lecturer of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida (USA), an Honorary Professor of the Department of Agroindustry at Universidad Nacional del Santa, Chimbote, Peru, and a Visiting Professor at the School of Engineering of Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), as well as Head of Embrapa Vegetables. He is currently the President of Embrapa.

Director General of IICA

Manuel Otero holds a M.Sc. in Agricultural Development from the University of London, a Masters in Animal Production from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), headquartered in Costa Rica, and is also a qualified Veterinarian from the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Previously, he served in Washington D.C. as an Agricultural Attaché, attached to the Ministry of Agriculture of Argentina, and was also Vice-President of Argentina’s Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria – INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology). He began his career at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in 1988, and was a representative to Uruguay and Brazil on two occasions.

Agribusiness Coordinator at FGV and former Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply - Brazil

Mr. Rodrigues is an agricultural engineer with a degree from Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ) of Universidade de São Paulo (USP). He works as coordinator at Fundação Getúlio Vargas and is the president of the National Academy of Agriculture. He served as Secretary of Agriculture and Food Supply in the State of São Paulo (1993/1994) and as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (2003/2006). He was president of the mixed-capital company of the government of São Paulo, the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives, the Brazilian Association of Agribusiness, the Brazilian Rural Society, and the Higher Council of Agribusiness of FIESP – COSAG. He was a professor at the Department of Rural Economics of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP).

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply - Brazil

Mrs. Cristina is a Federal congresswoman for Mato Grosso do Sul, an agricultural engineer and businesswoman. She served as Superintendent of the National Service for Rural Learning (Senar) and led the Secretariat of Agricultural Development, Production, Industry, Trade and Tourism (Seprotur) of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. In 2014, while serving as federal congresswoman and president of the Parliamentary Front for Agriculture, she received a prize from Congresso em Foco in the category “Best Congressperson”, and was acknowledged as the strongest advocate for Brazilian agribusinesses in the category “Agricultural Advocacy.”