An important step toward international collaboration between Italy and Brazil in the field of sustainable agriculture

In the context of a growing need for international collaboration to address global challenges, Butterfly Area becomes a boost for activating cooperation agreements between Italy and Brazil in the field of sustainable agriculture. The University of Turin with the delegation led by the Rector, Prof. Stefano Geuna, has activated on Brazilian soil a series of meetings that promise to strengthen ties between the two nations.

The meeting with the Under Secretary, Prof. Marcia Barbosa, which took place on October 2, 2023 at the Ministry of Technology, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) was a moment of recognition for the initiative undertaken by the University of Turin. Prof. Barbosa emphasized the crucial importance of broad and lasting collaboration between Brazil and Italy in a world facing complex challenges such as global pandemics and climate change through the power of connections.

In the afternoon, the delegation had a meeting at CAPES, a Foundation of the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) dedicated to the promotion of postgraduate courses and teacher training. During this meeting, the Butterfly Area project captured the interest of CAPES, which has environmental sustainability as one of its priority topics of interest. The possibility of a collaboration between the University of Turin and EMBRAPA, the Brazilian Foundation for Agricultural Research, which is exploring the possibility of opening an antenna of its activities within Butterfly Area, was further considered.

Prof. Cristina Prandi, UniTo Vice Chancellor for Research, commented, “To have established this relationship with one of the best agricultural research agencies in the world is a confirmation of the level of excellence of the research being conducted at UniTO in the areas of agriculture. The interest shown and the collaborations that will arise from this agreement will be a further affirmation of the international dimension of the Butterfly project.”

The partnership between Italy and Brazil in sustainable agriculture through the Butterfly Area project is set to lead to significant developments. In addition, the agreement with Brazilian Foundations under the Amazon+10 initiative will allow researchers from the University of Turin to participate in scientific expeditions to the Brazilian Amazon, where they will study biodiversity and local communities, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the region.

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