São Paulo – This Wednesday (10), the Official Gazette has announced the appointment of agronomist Maurício Antônio Lopes as the new president of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). An employee of the state-owned company for over 20 years, the former Research and Development director will assume the position left open by Pedro Antônio Arraes in late September.
At Embrapa, Lopes has conducted research on genetic studies and plant improvement, led the maize improvement program, and was head of R&D for maize and sorghum in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais.
In an interview published on the Embrapa website, Lopes stated that the company will not step down its international cooperation efforts. He confirmed that the unit known as Embrapa International is defunct, but guarantee that the company will seek other means for working with international partners. “We place total emphasis on cooperation,” he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
