Greater agricultural production with lower nitrous oxide emission

Executive Summary

Agriculture is responsible for approximately 60% of global nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions—one of the three main greenhouse gases driving global warming. Paradoxically, it is also one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change, which demands the implementation of climate-smart technological innovation policies. Within the framework of this multilateral technical cooperation project—bringing together Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, and Uruguay—we are expanding the traditional benefits of microbial inoculants (such as biological nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and antifungal effects) by incorporating new traits with high environmental value (such as the reduction of N₂O emissions) and strong economic impact (such as increased productivity). We use genetic improvement technologies that enable the development of inoculants considered non-GMO, including those edited via CRISPR/Cas9. These innovations are helping to position Latin America as a global leader in the inoculant market.

The technological solution

The project involves the  production of new inoculants as a technological package that combines three benefits simultaneously: (i) applicable to a wide variety of relevant regional crops, (ii) increases the production and quality of crops, and (iii) drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, especially nitrous oxide

Results

Beneficiaries

More than 30.000 producers, technicians, researchers and students from de Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain and Uruguay will be direct beneficiaries of this project. Main regional agricultural microbiology companies and consumers from the countries involved will be indirect beneficiaries.

Sustainable Development Goals

Main donors

Dissemination products