With research that replaces chemicals with microorganisms, Brazilian woman wins “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”

Brazilian agronomist and researcher Mariangela Hungria, from Embrapa Soja, in Londrina (PR), is this year's laureate of the World Food Prize (WFP), the most important recognition in agriculture, considered a kind of “Nobel” in the area.

The announcement of his nomination took place on Tuesday night (13) at the headquarters of the World Food Prize Foundation in the United States. The award ceremony will be held on October 23 in the American city of Des Moines.

With over 40 years of research into the development of soil microbiology technologies, Mariangela works primarily with microorganisms that aid in the biological fixation of nitrogen, reducing the need for chemical inputs.

According to their studies, the use of inoculation in soybeans with nitrogen-fixing bacteria ( Bradyrhizobium ) can be even more beneficial if associated with co-inoculation with the bacterium Azospirilum brasiliense . According to their estimates, in 2024 alone, this technology provided an estimated savings of US$ 25 billion, by eliminating the use of nitrogen fertilizers.

The value is calculated considering the planted area and soybean production, the cost of fertilizer (urea) that would be needed for this production, and the efficiency of using nitrogen input. Mariangela also explains that last year, the technology prevented the emission of more than 230 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year into the atmosphere. Today, Brazil is a world leader in the use of biological processes in the field.

“This is wonderful, but it can be even better, because despite being leaders, we have an average of 10% to 15% of our agriculture using organic products, the rest still uses chemicals”, says the researcher.

In the case of soybeans, the use of microorganisms can completely replace chemical fertilizers, a promising potential considering Brazil's dependence on imported fertilizers. “In other cases, the replacement is partial, but if you consider the price and environmental impact, the advantages are significant,” he says.

For corn crops, which have also been increasingly adopting the use of biological products, farmers can save around 25% on the use of chemical products, according to Mariangela.

In research led by the scientist, there are already selected and efficient bacteria for several other crops, such as beans, peas, crotalaria, wheat, rice, barley and even grass pastures, such as brachiaria, used in animal feed.

Interest in research with microorganisms began in childhood

The laureate told Gazeta do Povo that her calling for the career began when she was still a child, at the age of 8, when her grandmother, a science teacher, gave her the book Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif. “I was enchanted by the book and said I wanted to be a microbiologist, because it affected me a lot to see people going hungry,” she recalls.

In 1976, after finishing his science degree (currently high school), he decided to study agronomy at the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (Esalq) in Piracicaba. “At the time, the profession was predominantly male and we were experiencing the so-called green revolution, a process led by Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, who saved thousands of people from hunger with the vision that increasing food production involved improving plants and chemical fertilizers,” he says.

In college, Mariangela says she wanted to follow an alternative path: increasing food production, but using biological inputs. “Everyone said it would be unfeasible. They thought it could be used in a community garden, organic farming, but that it would never be possible to use biologicals in large-scale agriculture. And I wanted it to be used for all types of crops,” she says.

“So I have always worked with microorganisms, in my undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies,” he says. “Always in the area of ​​microorganisms that have processes that could totally or partially replace chemical fertilizers.”

“Today there is a huge demand for organic products and for us, in research, it has become easier to offer other solutions to farmers, because they are very open to these solutions”, he says.

Researcher is the fourth Brazilian to win the World Food Prize

Awarded annually, the WFP was created in 1986 by Norman E. Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in global agriculture. The aim is to honor contributions to increasing the world's food supply.

The winner of each edition receives US$500,000 and a sculpture designed by artist and designer Saul Bass. Three Brazilians have already received this honor. In 2006, agronomists Edson Lobato and Alysson Paulinelli shared the award with their American colleague A. Colin McClung, for their work in developing agriculture in the Cerrado region.

In 2011, current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), together with former president of Ghana, John Kufuor, were chosen for their work in combating hunger as heads of government.

Award highlights Embrapa's work in agricultural research

The chairman of the award nominee selection committee, Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, highlighted that the researcher was chosen for her “extraordinary scientific achievements in biological fixation that have transformed the sustainability of agriculture in South America.”

“His brilliant scientific work and his committed vision in advancing sustainable agricultural production to feed humanity with the judicious use of chemical fertilizers and biological inputs have given him global recognition, both at home and abroad,” he said.

The work of the Brazilian scientist was also highlighted by the governor of the state of Iowa, Kim Reynolds. “Dr. Hungria’s trajectory shows that she is a scientist of great perseverance and vision – characteristics that she shares with Dr. Norman Borlaug, founder of the World Food Prize and father of the Green Revolution,” she said.

“As a pioneering scientist and mother, Dr. Hungria also serves as an inspiring example for women researchers seeking to embody both roles. Her discoveries and developments have contributed to Brazil becoming a global breadbasket,” he highlights.

For the general manager of Embrapa Soja, Alexandre Nepomuceno, the researcher's nomination for the award crowns Mariangela's trajectory of excellence in agricultural research. "I can say that it is a privilege for Embrapa Soja to have Mariangela actively working in favor of agricultural science, and more, bringing solutions to complex challenges in soybean farming and practical results that really impact the lives of producers," he says.

Embrapa’s president, Silvia Massruhá, also celebrated the achievement. “I consider this a double tribute — and a deeply meaningful one. First, to our fellow researcher, a woman who dedicated her career to science, believing in the power of microorganisms to transform agriculture into a more productive, competitive and sustainable activity. Second, to our company, which in its 52 years has always invested and believed in these ideals,” she said.