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FAPESP and the Sustainable Development Goals

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SDG 2 Zero Hunger

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SDG 2 Zero Hunger

Method uses drone and low-cost camera to select drought-tolerant plants
SDG 2
Method uses drone and low-cost camera to select drought-tolerant plants

Images taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle, processed with free software, help assess water stress parameters in corn experiments and select varieties that are better adapted to water shortages.


New geospatial intelligence methodology makes land use management more accurate and faster
SDG 2
New geospatial intelligence methodology makes land use management more accurate and faster

A technique developed by researchers at São Paulo State University was tested in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and more accurately delineated areas of natural vegetation and agricultural production by crop type; the results showed 95% accuracy in mapping.


Book presents the benefits of cover crops for agricultural systems
SDG 2
Book presents the benefits of cover crops for agricultural systems

Practical guide prepared by researchers from the University of São Paulo gets extended version, accessible for free on the Internet.


Center aims to improve quality of life in the Amazon with digital technologies for the açaí and honey chains
SDG 2, SDG 12
Center aims to improve quality of life in the Amazon with digital technologies for the açaí and honey chains

The Agrotechnological District of Breves, in the Brazilian state of Pará, was created as part of Semear Digital, a Science Center for Development led by EMBRAPA Digital Agriculture and supported by FAPESP.


Scientists use ash generated by burning of sugarcane bagasse to recover nutrients from vinasse
SDG 2
Scientists use ash generated by burning of sugarcane bagasse to recover nutrients from vinasse

The method converts the vinasse left over from ethanol production into a potassium- and nitrogen-rich fertilizer. The groundbreaking study was conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos and published in the Journal of Environmental Management.


Remote sensing system maps plastic use in agriculture
SDG 2, SDG 9
Remote sensing system maps plastic use in agriculture

The solution developed at the Plasticulture Engineering Center, supported by FAPESP, uses machine learning on time series of satellite images to detect agricultural areas where the material is used with almost 100% accuracy.


Use of microgels and nanogels with iron can enhance cucumber seed germination
SDG 2
Use of microgels and nanogels with iron can enhance cucumber seed germination

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that this type of polymer may in future optimize production of this crop in terms of time, space and cost, favoring sustainable food production.


Sperm from male pigs bred with more well-being gives rise to piglets with less fear and anxiety
SDG 2
Sperm from male pigs bred with more well-being gives rise to piglets with less fear and anxiety

Without having had any contact with their parents, piglets fathered by boars housed in cramped conditions for four weeks exhibited elevated levels of cortisol, among other indicators of stress. Offspring of pigs housed in roomier pens and given showers and tactile stimuli coped better with stressful situations.


From innovation to sustainability: precision methods transform livestock farming
SDG 2
From innovation to sustainability: precision methods transform livestock farming

Cutting-edge technologies and systems promise to contribute to more sustainable practices but need academics, scientists, processors and farmers to join forces, according to speakers at the São Paulo School of Advanced Science held on the Jaboticabal campus of São Paulo State University.


Digital technologies help increase productivity and reduce agricultural impacts
SDG 2
Digital technologies help increase productivity and reduce agricultural impacts

Scientists from Brazil and Spain use sensors embedded in drones and agricultural machinery, as well as satellite imagery, to predict the ideal time to harvest, reduce CO2 emissions, and manage water use in plantations; work was presented at FAPESP Week Spain.


Study shows why it is beneficial to preserve native forest around agricultural areas
SDG 2
Study shows why it is beneficial to preserve native forest around agricultural areas

While studying a region of vineyards in the interior of the state of São Paulo, researchers observed that the most preserved sites had a greater diversity of birds and the ecological functions they perform.


Water overuse in MATOPIBA could mean failure to meet up to 40% of local demand for crop irrigation
SDG 2, SDG 13
Water overuse in MATOPIBA could mean failure to meet up to 40% of local demand for crop irrigation

Overuse of water resources in Brazil’s main agricultural frontier region, in conjunction with climate change, is reducing replenishment of the Urucuia aquifer and surface water bodies in the basin of a tributary of the São Francisco, the largest river in the Northeast.


Presence of bacteria in soil makes flowers more attractive to pollinators, study shows
SDG 2
Presence of bacteria in soil makes flowers more attractive to pollinators, study shows

Experiments conducted at the Federal University of the ABC showed that nitrogen-fixing bacteria play a key role in the reproduction of a legume native to Brazil.


Sustainable agricultural systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions
SDG 2, SDG 13
Sustainable agricultural systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Scientists at the University of São Paulo present this conclusion based on a systematic review of the literature in a paper published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.


A book on challenges to an inclusive bioeconomy in the Amazon
SDG 2, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 13
A book on challenges to an inclusive bioeconomy in the Amazon

Thirty-two experts affiliated with academic and research institutions in the North, Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil wrote its 12 chapters.


Molecules extracted from microalgae accelerate seed germination
SDG 2, SDG 9
Molecules extracted from microalgae accelerate seed germination

A startup supported by FAPESP has created a solution that promotes development and growth of the roots and aerial part of plants.


Organic farms certified by peers display higher product diversity
SDG 2
Organic farms certified by peers display higher product diversity

A study conducted in São Paulo state (Brazil) showed that farms with peer-to-peer certification had 58.8 organic items on average, while farms conventionally certified by third parties had 22.2.


New discoveries regarding tomato hormones can increase total yield
SDG 2
New discoveries regarding tomato hormones can increase total yield

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and colleagues in other countries conducted a study showing that strigolactones – substances hitherto associated only with plant development – can directly influence flowering and fruiting.


Novel nanomaterial keeps more phosphorus available in soil than commercial fertilizer
SDG 2
Novel nanomaterial keeps more phosphorus available in soil than commercial fertilizer

The novel compound was developed in the lab but can be produced with technology already used by the industry, facilitating scale-up. It fixes phosphorus in the soil for future crop cycles and requires fewer applications. The researchers are seeking partners to mass-produce it for use in large-scale experiments.


<i>The ISME Journal</i> lists State University of Campinas study among the top three of 2023
SDG 2
<i>The ISME Journal</i> lists State University of Campinas study among the top three of 2023

Work carried out at the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center, with the support of FAPESP, revealed soil bacteria that act as natural fertilizers and have applications in agriculture.


Scientists call for urgent action to tackle nutritional crisis devastating the Yanomami
SDG 2, SDG 3
Scientists call for urgent action to tackle nutritional crisis devastating the Yanomami

In an article published in Nature Medicine, a group at the State University of Campinas stresses that Yanomami children are suffering the most severe nutritional deficit of any Indigenous community in the Americas and warns of long-term consequences for health.


Pesticides impair mobility and immune system of Brazilian native stingless bees, study shows
SDG 2
Pesticides impair mobility and immune system of Brazilian native stingless bees, study shows

After 48 hours of exposure to the pesticides imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate, stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris exhibited morphological and behavioral alterations that could weaken colonies, impair pollination and adversely affect food security.


Research optimizes biological control of pest that severely damages soybean crops
SDG 2
Research optimizes biological control of pest that severely damages soybean crops

Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) verified in the field that a parasitoid wasp that neutralizes the Brown stink bug should ideally be released at intervals of 30 m.


In Brazil, 76% of deforestation in three Amazonian states occurred in a planned agricultural development zone
SDG 2, SDG 13
In Brazil, 76% of deforestation in three Amazonian states occurred in a planned agricultural development zone

The researchers showed that pressure has intensified since the 2018 announcement of a plan to create a development zone where the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia meet.


Registration of biological pest control products exceeds that of agrochemicals in Brazil
SDG 2, SDG 17
Registration of biological pest control products exceeds that of agrochemicals in Brazil

Around 90% of the sugarcane area in Brazil now uses natural enemies to combat agricultural pests; data were presented during FAPESP Week Illinois.


News about research projects funded by FAPESP and articulated with the SDGs: