Farmers in Brazil Use Legumes to Reduce Costs, Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Brazilian farmers are working with nuclear scientists to utilize organic farming techniques to increase their productivity while at the same time reducing their carbon emissions in a project coordinated by the IAEA in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). They use stable isotope techniques to verify the effectiveness of their organic farming practices, reducing their costs, while helping the environment.

Agriculture is a significant component of the Brazilian economy. The country is the world’s largest producer of coffee, orange juice and sugar and the second largest producer of soybeans and crop-based ethanol. Brazilian production of grain reached over 230 million tonnes in the 2016-17 growing season. Read more.