labex europe embrapa 10 years les dossiers d'agropolis internatinal
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Numro 15
From Brazil to Europe:10 years of Labex Program,EMBRAPAs laboratory without walls
Number 15
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Agropolis International brings together institutionsof research and higher education in Montpellierand Languedoc-Roussillon in partnership with localcommunities, companies and regional enterprises and inclose cooperation with international institutions.
Agropolis is an international campus devoted toagricultural and environmental sciences. There is significantpotential for scientific and technological expertise: morethan 2 300 scientists and lecturers in over 80 researchunits in Montpellier and Languedoc-Roussillon, including400 scientists conducting research in 60 countries.Agropolis International is structured according to abroad range of research themes corresponding to theoverall scientific, technological and economic issues ofdevelopment.
Agropolis International promotes the capitalisationand enhancement of knowledge, personnel trainingand technology transfer. It is a hub for visitors andinternational exchanges, while promoting initiatives basedon multilateral and collective expertise and contributingto the scientific and technological knowledge needed forpreparing development policies.
Further information:p. 42-43 & www.agropolis.org
AGROPOLISINTERNATIONAL
Research at the serviceof Brazilian agricultural development
EMBRAPA
EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuria),the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, linked tothe ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, has themissions of 'providing technological solutions for sustainableagricultural development in Brazil to the benefit of theBrazilian society'.
Founded in 1973, it has thus developed thousands oftechnologies of use in Brazilian agriculture, reducedproduction costs and helped Brazil to increase its foodsecurity while conserving natural resources and theenvironment.
With more than 9500 employees including more than2400 research scientists, Embrapa has built up a network of42 research centers, 5 service centers and 15 central divisions.
Present in all the Brazilian states, it additionally serves as alink between the institutions that are part of the nationalagricultural research system.
Embrapa is also involved in numerous internationalcooperation projects, in particular through the virtuallaboratories abroad, 'Labex' (today in the United States,Europe and Asia), and thanks to technological transfer officesin Africa and Latin America.
Further information:p. 11-12 & www.embrapa.br and www.agricultura.gov.br
agriculture food biodiversity environment
Maylena Clecia/Linkimagem
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Building scientificpartnerships today:
EMBRAPA's Labex Program
in Europe and over the worldPartnership is an essential componentof research today. To say that no major
question can be settled by a single instituteis no novelty. Buiding up and managing
multilateral partnerships forms a difficult
operation requiring good knowledge ofcapacities and of the complementaryfeatures of those involved. It can be
optimised, however, by sending experiencedscientists to work with partners with
the twin aim of sharing knowledge and
prospecting. Sharing knowledge, using theirown competences and making partners
discover those of the institutethat they represent. Prospecting, outside
the host team, to find new partnership
opportunities within their field ofcompetences that are relevant for
the strategy of their institution.
Embrapa has implemented this strategy
through 'Labex', virtual laboratoriesabroad without walls (from Laboratrios no
Exterior, in Portuguese), in the United States,
Europe and more recently in Asia.
Senior scientists are posted to cutting-edgeteams to work two-thirds of their time onan ambitious project of joint interest. They
use the rest of the time for prospecting andfor seeking new opportunities. Information
flows from these Labex to Brazilianresearch institutes. After the first decade in
Europe, we can observe a strong increase in
collaborative projects.
This special Agropolis International Dossier
devoted to Partnership describes resultsand experiences of Labex-Europes 10 years
of functioning. Experiences that Embrapaand Agropolis International wish to share.
4EMBRAPAS Labex Program
10International scope of EMBRAPA
16Natural resource management
22Agrifood technologies
28Advanced biology and molecular
plant-microorganism interactions
38Main publications
42Agropolis International
Qrcode + validit dossier
44Agropolis Fondation
46Acronyms and abbreviations
On the cover Lygia Akemi/EMBRAPAThe information presented in this Dossier was valid on 01/08/2012.
45An Argentinian LabIntex
set up at Agropolis International
45Prospects of the EMBRAPA Labex Program
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EMBRAPAS Labex ProgramLabex-Europe is now 10 years old, so it is time to learn from and share this unique international scientific
cooperation experience.
n the late 1990s, EMBRAPAexplored a new partnershipconcept, i.e. the laboratory
without walls or externallaboratory (Labex), with FranciscoReifschneider, Eliseu Alves andAlberto Portugal being the mainarchitects.
Senior researchers are posted for2-4 years in top-notch researchlaboratories abroad to fosterexchange of their experience withother researchers. The ultimate aim
is to generate new knowledge thatwill serve to develop innovativetechnologies for tropical agriculture.They join a high-level team andcollaborate in a joint researchproject that will serve to create aresearch cluster through Brazilianand European scientific networks.
(28 research and higher educationestablishments) hosted in theAgropolis International facilities inMontpellier, France. Labex-Europe
was inaugurated in 2002. Labex hasalso set up offices in other regionsof the world (South Korea in 2009,China in 2012).
* United States Department of Agriculture, AgriculturalResearch Service.
These researchers must also devotea third of their time to exploratoryactivities (scientific monitoring,visits, participation in conferences,etc.) and to information activitiesgeared towards coordination andsupervision of the program.
Four years after the first Labexwas set up in the United States in1998 (in collaboration with USDA-ARS*), a second one was launchedin Europe. The French researchcenters CIRAD (Agricultural
Research for Development), INRA(Institut National de la RechercheAgronomique) and IRD (Institut deRecherche pour le dveloppement)mandated Agropolis Internationalto sign an agreement betweenEMBRAPA and the regional multi-institutional consortium
I
The idea emerged from Brazil.
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Ana
Viegas/
EMBRAPA
EMBRAPAS Labex Program
Brazil is now the main scientific partner of the Montpellier
agroenvironment cluster, in which one research unit in four isinvolved in an ongoing cooperation with one or more Brazilian
research and training institution. In this setting, the Labex-EuropeProgram is an instrument to pave the way to new synergies
for the scientific teams. The presence of experienced Brazilianresearchers and network leaders, who are highly familiar with the
Brazilian research system, is a direct and high quality source ofinformation.
Joint interest projects are proposed by hosted Brazilian researchers.These projects were found to be excellent contributions as
these scientists are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the
stakeholders in both countries. The established collaborationsare ongoing and even being diversified. The Labex Program is thusan instrument for the strengthening and diversification
of established partnerships but especially an opening towardscollaborations with excellence research teams. One of the tangible
results is the creation of the International Advanced Biology
Consortium (CIBA, p.36), which pools Brazilian and French partnersfor the purpose of improving plants of interest for tropical and
Mediterranean agriculture. Labex is therefore also a complementto standard cooperation tools. Although virtual communication,
with all of its advantages, is now omnipresent, joint work as part ofa team within the same laboratory can bind links of a completely
different type.
A successfulpartnership experience
Based on the work started by researchers of the Labex-
Europe Program, EMBRAPA is now developing thisstrategic partnership model not only in France but also in
other European countries, especially England (Rothamsted
Research Station, p. 34-35) and Germany (Julich Institute,p. 13). A Labex researcher was hosted in the Netherlands(Wageningen University, p. 32) for 4 years and other hostcountries are targeted in the future.
As EMBRAPAs Labex Program has been efficient in one
direction, it could also operate well in the otherthis is
the aim of the Inverse Labex project, tested by foreignsenior researchers in EMBRAPA research centers in Brazil.
In addition to the many IRD and CIRAD researchersposted in various EMBRAPA centers in Brazil, a Korean
RDA researcher, two ARS/USDA researchers and an
English researcher from the Rothamsted Research Station,associated with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (p. 35), have been hosted in differentlaboratories. Soon, a German researcher from JulichInstitute (p. 13) may come to an EMBRAPA research centreas well. The Brazilian Labex model has also inspired othercountries: in March 2012, Agropolis International signed
a partnership agreement with INTA (Instituto Nacionalde Tecnologa Agropecuaria) in Buenos Aires to host thefirst LabIntex offices in Montpellier, which is based on
EMBRAPAs Labex Program (p. 45).
Pedro Arcuri (EMBRAPA, Brazil), Yves Savidan (IRD, France)& Paula Dias (Agropolis International, France)
A model that can be used for other partnershipsin Montpellier, Europe and elsewhere
WEWANTOUREMBRAPARESEARCHERS, ANDNOTJUSTOURSTUDENTS,TO RUBSHOULDERS WITHLEADINGTOP-NOTCHSCIENTIFICRESEARCHTEAMS
INPROGRAMSTHATAREATTHECUTTING-EDGE, EACHINITSSPECIFICFIELD,ASREGARDSNEWTECHNOLOGIESANDINNOVATION.
Eliseu Alves & Francisco Reifschneider (EMBRAPA)
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Some key dates in the historyof EMBRAPAs Labex Program 99 Page number
Color refers to chapter
LEGEND
2010 - 2013Genomics, plant biotechnology andmolecular plant-microorganisminteractionsFunctional genomicanalysis of interactions betweenMycosphaerella graminicola and wheat(Alexandre Amaral)
34
1998Beginning of
EMBRAPAs LabexProgramFirst
laboratory withoutwalls set up in the
United States
5
2002Inauguration of
EMBRAPAs Labex-Europe at Agropolis
International(Montpellier, France)
5
2002 - 2005Natural resourcemanagementSpectralreflectance used tomap soil properties(Jos Madeira)
18
Agrifood technologyNew sources of plantenzymes isolated fromBrazilian biomass(Regina Lago)
24
Plant genomics andbiotechnologyFunctional analysisof drought and salttolerance in rice(Ana Brasileiro)
302005 - 2008Agrifood technology
Possible alternatives tochemical methods for theconservation of minimallyprocessed plant products(Helosa Filgueiras)
25
2006Beginning of a Labex-Europe positionat WageningenUniversity(Netherlands)
32
2006 - 2010
Plant-microorganisminteractions.MusaForeverProgram(Manoel Souza)
32
2007 - 2009Natural resource
managementAssessment ofthe agroenvironmental impacts
of perennial crop basedfarming systems
(Geraldo Stachetti Rodrigues)
18
2008Founding of the International
Advanced Biology Consortium(CIBA)Franco-Brazilianscientific collaboration
36
2009Inauguration ofEMBRAPAs Labex-KoreaPartnership
with the RuralDevelopmentAdministration
12
2009 - 2011Agrifood technologyImpact of information and
innovations on consumerfood choices and on theirwillingness to pay(Rosires Deliza)
26
Agrifood technologyBacterial spore resistanceto thermal stress(Amauri Rosenthal)
27
2010Natural resourcemanagementDynamics ofrural areas based on landusechange interpretation(Margareth Simes)
20
2012Beginning of a Labex-Europeposition at Jlich Institute(Germany). Developmentof high throughput plantphenotyping methods(Paulo Herrmann Jr.)
13
2012Inauguration ofLabex-ChinaPartnership with theChinese Academy ofAgricultural Sciences
12
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EMBRAPAS Labex Program
The Labex-Europe Program institutionalizeslong-term scientific and technical cooperation
between EMBRAPA, Agropolis International
institutions and other European centers ofexcellence in agricultural research. The presence ofBrazilian researchers in these research centers highlights
EMBRAPAs strategic decision to advance its knowledgeas well as Brazils interest and dynamism in terms of
partnerships in joint research projects and monitoring
new scientific discoveries on this continent.
The scientific links remain established via researchnetworks and clusters after the scientists return to Brazil,
often giving rise to new projects. The Labex-EuropeProgram is an international cooperation instrument
which, with the support of the Agropolis International,frees it from the long bureaucratic procedures required
for the approval of international scientific cooperationprojects. The Labex-Europe Program has shown itsstrategic asset of being able to strengthen the quality
of research carried out by EMBRAPA by allowingits researchers to work in centers of scientific and
technological excellence. Although it'sa small program, a feature to be kept as
it is essential for effective coordination,
the Labex-Europe has enabled Europeanresearchers to deal with new researchissues and with challenges associated with
emerging countries undergoing technicaland scientific development.
By being involved in looking for new technologies andresponses to problems affecting tropical agriculture,
they have made progress in gaining the knowledgerequired to cope with global agricultural challenges in a
setting of climate change, urban population growth anda need to develop technologies to ensure sustainable
agricultural intensification while also being environment-friendly. Finally, application of knowledge generated by
international cooperation will contribute to combatingpoverty worldwide.
Contact: Elisio Contini, [email protected]
A word from Dr Elisio Contini,the first coordinator of EMBRAPAs Labex-Europe
Since EMBRAPA was founded,research and scientific cooperation
capacity building has been pivotalto fulfill its vision: natural resource
management associated with innovativeknowledge-based technologies as the basis
for intensive, sustainable and highly efficient
agriculture.
Our most valuable asset is thus our team
of more than 2000 PhD researchers (or scientists) and theirscientific networks. This is why EMBRAPA developed the
virtual laboratories abroad concept, the Labex Program,about 15 years ago.
As a former coordinator of its US branch, I have witnessedits symmetrical scientific cooperation performance. Now
that we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Labex-Europe office being set up in Montpellier, the results
presented in this publication are evidence that the decision
taken by our former directors to count on the supportof Agropolis International and its members, in order to
coordinate the presence of our researchers throughout thecontinent, was strategic.
EMBRAPA is therefore extremely thankful for theiracceptance of the Labex concept. Scientific cooperation
explains part of the Brazilian agricultural achievements.In 40 years, EMBRAPA became a network of 47 research
centers, spread throughout Brazil and covering our fivebiomes.
Over this period, crop yields increased steadily by up to 4%per year in Brazil, representing an overall increase of 200%,
whereas the increase in land available for agriculture onlyincreased by around 30%.
Brazil preserves land from agricultural use. It has around 60%of its territory legally classified as indigenous land, biological
reserve or natural park, while at the same time it is one ofthe leaders in biofuel, plant fiber and food production.
Nevertheless, in a global setting where there is increased
demand for agriculture that has to cope with climate change,soil acidity, emerging diseases and many other urgent
challenges, R&D institutions must now work togethertowards developing sustainable intensification practices
and biotechnologies in order to increase productivityand provide environmental services such as biodiversity
preservation and water quality.
Labex-Europe, despite its small size, has already obtained
results that fulfill EMBRAPAs vision by creating or
strengthening scientific networks and new scientificknowledge. Therefore, Labex-Europes results significantly
contribute to harmonizing economic development andenvironmental conservation. In this setting, agriculture
becomes a solution, not a problem, towards buildinga more sustainable future.
Contact: Pedro Arraes Pereira, [email protected]
A word from Dr Pedro Arraes Pereira,Director-President of EMBRAPA
'LABEX-EUROPESRESULTSSIGNIFICANTLYCONTRIBUTETOHARMONIZINGECONOMICDEVELOPMENTANDENVIRONMENTALCONSERVATION'
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The world is changing, thus implying that what we
currently call globalization is simply a transition froma Western oriented world to a multipolar world
within which emerging countries are claiming theirrightful place. Is this not what Southern Cone countriesare doing with their high ambitions of becoming global
stakeholders in agriculture and food sectors? And is itnot what they are involved in doing by encouraging their
agricultural research institutions to collaborate moreeffectively with the best research teams worldwide, and by
setting up platforms in the United States, Europe and Asia?EMBRAPA is a remarkable forerunner in this senseit has
been thriving in France and throughout Europe from its
base in Montpellier (France) for 10 years now! And nowthe Argentinian Instituto Nacional de Tecnologa Agropecuaria(INTA) is preparing to do the same.
I am delighted by these initiatives, as a result of whichBrazil has become a key scientific partner of Montpellier
research teams, and the relevance of its performancerecord is recognized and shared: joint programming
initiatives, researcher mobility, renewal of research focuses,
all through the pooling of temperate and tropical researchresources. Agricultural research is becoming globalized to
come up with appropriate solutions to food security andmalnutrition questions that are still pending at the outset
of the 21st century. Population movements and subsequentbehavioral changes, the threat of climate change, the need
to reconsider the allocation of
water resources for differentuses, and other imminent
uncertainties, will inevitablycontribute to renewing ourresearch agenda.
Agriculture is still vital for humankind, but keep in mind
that this is not a disembodied activityit involves men andwomen worldwide who care for their crops and livestock
every day. We also need to focus on what happens tothese people as a result of the changes that are under
waytheir professional and family lives, workload, income,
the future of rural areas in different regions, marked by thespecific historical and geographical settings, relationships
between the countryside which feeds them and the citieswhere populations throughout the world are increasingly
concentrated. Agricultural research should be focused onall of these issues so as to be able to foresee future trends
and investigate ways to safeguard the future in suitableways. Technological development alone will not guarantee
that the development will be sustainable, respectful of
the environment and the societies that it impacts. It ismy sincerest hope that all of these questions will be
addressed in our collaborations with the Brazilian teamsand facilitated by the presence of Labex EMBRAPA in
Montpellier!
Contact: Bernard Hubert, [email protected]
A word from Dr Bernard Hubert,President of Agropolis International
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International scope of EMBRAPAEMBRAPA, since its inception, has been acting in close collaboration with different international institutions. It also
created a Secretary for International Affairs (SIA) in 2009, which is directly linked to the cabinet for the Director-
President as a result of the increased worldwide demand for agricultural technologies and partnership proposals.
he Secretary forInternational Affairs (SIA)set up three coordination
areas: scientific, technologicalbusinesses and structuring projects.
The aim of scientific coordination,or knowledge interchangecoordination, is to enhance scientificpartnerships while consolidatingEMBRAPAs image as a top qualityagricultural research and innovationcorporation. This coordination
encompasses the entire LabexProgram (USA, Europe, South Korea,China) and bilateral agreementswith other agricultural researchinstitutes, universities and privatecompanies. It also encompassesmultilateral agreements withthe CGIAR Consortium (GlobalAgricultural Research Partnership),participants in PROCISUR(Cooperative Program for Agrifoodand Agroindustrial Technological
The structuring projectcoordination team seeks fundingopportunities from governments,institutions and internationalorganizations in order to promoteinitiatives, programs and projectsof interest for EMBRAPA and tomanage project implementationin partnership with internationalfunding agencies.
Since 2012, EMBRAPAs newstatus facilitates these activities
and strengthens its internationalstrategy by increasing theflexibility of SIA in scientific andtechnological business (patents,licenses) fields, and with respectto technical cooperation activitiesmanaged by the CooperationAgency of the Brazilian Ministry ofForeign Affairs.
Development of the Southern Coneof the Instituto Interamericano deCooperacin para la Agricultura) andother mechanisms involving severalcountries. The Labex Programaddresses the need for institutionaltools to enhance internationalcooperation, and to create meansto tighten strategic relationshipswith influential agricultural R&Dinstitutions in countries mostconcerned by this theme.
The technological businesscoordination team createdtechnology transfer offices in Africaand South and Central America.These mechanisms play importantroles in positioning EMBRAPA as apublic corporation able to discussand provide technological solutionsto major challenges in areas such assustainable agricultural production,global food security and climatechange.
TEMBRAPAs international cooperation mechanisms
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Labex-China
China
Labex-Korea
South Korea
Labex-Japan
Japan
Labex-Europe
France
Labex-Europe
Germany
Labex-USA
USA
EMBRAPA-Americas Project
PanamaVenezuela
EMBRAPA-Africa Project
Mozambique
Labex-Europe
England
EMBRAPA-Africa Project
Ghana
EMBRAPA-Africa Project
Mali
EMBRAPA-Africa Project
Senegal
Scientific cooperation
Technical cooperation
International scope of EMBRAPA
The Labex Program, as an international scientific cooperationmechanism, has its research themes determined by the EMBRAPADirectorate on the basis of its Strategic Plan, Brazilian governmental
priorities and the results of future scenario analyses. The priority Labex
research themes are listed below:
USA
Mechanisms for promoting innovation and new approaches tointellectual property issues
Genetic resource conservation, organization and exchange ofmaterial stored in germplasm banks
Genetic resources for 1st and 2nd generations biofuel productionGlobal climate change - Soil carbon dynamics and alleviationIntegrated pest and disease management
Precision agricultureAnimal health, integrated control of livestock diseases (avian and
porcine viruses, resistance to gastrointestinal parasites of sheep)Innovative uses for agricultural productsPlant breeding and biotechnology (resistance to bean and soybean
diseases)Food safety in dairy productsAdaptation to climate change (drought tolerance of crops)Nanotechnologies applied to agriculture and livestock productionNative Brazilian biodiversity prospection for bioactive compoundsClimate change - Impact of agriculture upon water resources
SOUTH KOREA
Plant genetic resource exchange and regeneration, cryopreservation
(strawberries and mushrooms)Assessment, selection and development of porcine germplasm to
enhance pork meat quality and weight gain of male pig breeding
strains1st and 2nd generation biofuel production from sweet sorghumMedicinal and aromatic plants and phytochemistry
CHINAGenetic resource exchange for germplasm banksOther themes, including biotechnology (to be outlined in 2013)
EMBRAPAs plan to develop low-carbon agricultural systems*,
attached to a broader program coordinated by the BrazilianMinistry of Agriculture, Food and Livestock Production**, is a driving
force behind its sustainable agricultural technology developmentstrategy. In this program, it is deemed that the increasing demand
for food, biofuels and fibers (in terms of quantity and quality)provides opportunities for the Brazilian agrifood industry, if it is
focused on ensuring sustainability. The Brazilian government stronglyurges investment in R&D while strengthening capacities to develop
expertise and innovations for sustainable agricultural production.
International scientific cooperation in this field is carried out withinthe framework of the Green Economy Initiative of the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP)***.
Contacts: Luciano Nass,Knowledge Exchange Coordinator,
Carlos Eduardo Lazarini Fonseca,Labex-USA Coordinator,
Gilberto Schmidt,Labex-South Korea Coordinator,
Damares de Castro Monte,
Labex-China Coordinator, [email protected]*www.agricultura.gov.br/abc
** www.agricultura.gov.br*** http://unep.org/civil-society/Portals/59/Documents/GMGSF12-GE-Conceptual-Issues.pdf
Ongoing EMBRAPA projects: Labex-USA, South Korea, China
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The brazilian researcherPaulo Hermann Jr. (EMBRAPA)
is the most recent researcher for theLabex-Europe, selected in June, 2012.
Paulo Hermann Jr. is an electrical engineer
and M.Sc. with a PhD in Physical Chemistrywho has been selected to start the new
research theme, 'Development of high
throughput phenotyping methods'. His workas an EMBRAPA researcher deals with instrumentation applied
to agribusiness, like application of atomic force microscopy,
development of low cost sensors using conducting polymers tobetter evaluate fruit ripeness as well as nano-bio-sensors with
microcantilevers. He explained that the opportunity to be a Labex
researcher positioned at the Forschungszentrum Jlich will be used tobetter characterize biological functions and processes needed for
phenotyping crop species, especially those for tropical environments.
Contact: [email protected]
The host laboratoryForschungszentrum Jlich -Plant Sciences Institute
The Plant Sciences Institute is a world-leading
institute in the emerging field of plantphenotypingthe quantitative analysis
of plant structure and function by using
non-invasive methods.
The aim is to bridge the gap between genetics and molecular techno-
logies on the one hand, and the breeding and knowledge-based plantmanagement on the other hand.
Important to note, the Jlichs Institute of Plant Sciences will reversely
implement a 'Labex Germany in Brazil'. The contract was signed
during the visit of the German Minister for Education and Research
Prof Dr Annette Schavan in Brasilia, October 5th
, 2012.
www.fz-juelich.de/ibg/ibg-2/EN/Home
Director of the IBG-2 and scientific correspondent:Pr Dr Ulrich Schurr,
The next ten years are open for the improvement of theLabex Program as an innovative mechanism for scientific
international cooperation. New institutional tools willenhance its high quality scientific partnership potential.
Two new operational mechanisms will soon be
implemented: Closer interaction between Labex Europe and
Labex USA through new institutional alliances and joint
projects to address global agricultural challenges. The LabexProgram may act as EMBRAPAs scientific interface with its
main partners on both sides of the Atlantic and Asia. Thisinterface will be linked to other EMBRAPA international
cooperation mechanisms through the Coordination forKnowledge Exchange office of the International Affairs
Secretariat. Some examples of such dynamic institutional
interactions are: the STAR-IDAZ Program* coordinatedby the UK Department of Environment and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) in which EMBRAPA coordinates activities in theAmericas**, with animal health being one of the research
themes of Labex-USA; INRAs metaprograms***; the GlobalResearch Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases****,
the Global Alliance on Food Security Research*****.
Creation of researchers clusters, i.e. a tool that isbeing designed to promote operational synergy between
Labex researchers currently working abroad and research
teams in Brazil working on the same theme. Previous
experience has already demonstrated the potential ofresearch clusters. The idea is simple: Labex researchersbegin their research as described in a joint interest project.
Depending on how the work progresses and/or fundingopportunities that arise, the concerned researcher may
contact the International Affairs Secretariat which, incollaboration with EMBRAPAs R&D Department, will
look for other researchers within the Brazilian National
Agricultural Research System who could be potentiallysuitable for the new opportunity. This type of cluster
mechanism enhances resource use efficiency and improvesresearch governance.
* STAR-IDAZ FP7 Global Strategic Alliances for the Coordination of Research on the MajorInfectious Diseases of Animals and Zoonoses:
www.star-idaz.net
** http://embrapa-labex-usa.com/Public/Default.aspx*** INRAs metaprograms: www.inra.fr/les_recherches/metaprogrammes
**** Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases:
www.globalresearchalliance.org***** Global Alliance on Food Security Research: www.gafsr.wur.nl/UK
Innovative international scientific cooperation mechanisms:Labex-USA and clusters
Labex-Europe in Germany
Labex-Europe is being hosted atForschungszentrum Jlich* close to Aarchen inGermany, which is one of the largest researchcenters of the Helmholtz Association, which
includes 18 research centers in Germany. Theagreement was signed in Berlin in January 2012.
The scientific cooperation themes will focus onthe development of advanced high throughput
plant phenotyping methods and on sustainable
development in a green economics setting(bioeconomics).
The Labex Program will provide a platform for
cooperation between Brazilian and Germanresearchers from the Jlich Research Center, the Bioeconomy Science
Center and other research institutions. The aim is to increase crop yieldsand quality while minimizing the resource footprint. The implementation ofthe Labex shows the intensity of the science partnership between Germany andBrazil, leading science nations in Europe and Latin America, concentrating theirefforts to address future challenges and to contribute to a sustainable supply offood, renewable mater ials and bioenergy. The Brazilian-German Year of Science,Technology and Innovation 2010/11 has strengthened this partnership and led tothis concrete cooperation supporting agro-research in the context of bioeconomy(Annette Schavan, German Minister for Education and Research).
The results will be used to design integrated and sustainable productionsystems for the bioeconomy of food, for renewable resources and
bioenergy.
Contact: Ulrich Schurr, [email protected] the source article:
www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/UK/EN/2012/12-01-20labex.html* www.fz-juelich.de/portal/EN/Home/home_node.html/
Cludio Lucas Capeche/EMBRAPA
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International scope of EMBRAPA
The Labex Program is structured through agreements
signed between EMBRAPA and its international partners:
A framework agreement with the partner institution*enables coordination of the program, defines the
intellectual property conditions and eventual conflict
solution mechanisms. EMBRAPA directors preselect the institution to
potentially host the Labex researcher. EMBRAPA launches an in-house call to select senior
researchers on the basis of their Vision Statementaction plan, professional qualifications and knowledge of
foreign languages.
Discussions are then engaged between the Labex
researcher, his/her scientific correspondent and the
Labex coordinators with respect to signing a renewable2-year Common Interest Project contract.
The researchers overall performance is assessed onceyearly by an evaluation committee made up of staff from
EMBRAPA, the partner institution* and invited scientists.The overall coordination of each Labex is also evaluated
yearly by a commission.
*Agropolis International, for Labex-Europe
The Labex operational mechanism
Labex Program Coordinators must devote up to 30% of
their time to research, in addition to their administrativeand prospecting tasks. The research themes that Labex-
Europe Coordinators have focused on so far includeagricultural economics, organizational arrangements in
public research and rumen microbiology, as described inthe publications list. This research has been accomplished
directly or through the supervision of graduate or
postdoctoral students.
Another important activity is the creation of opportunitiesfor further international research cooperation. One
example is the International Colloquium for RumenMicrobiology, organized by the Labex-Europe within the
largest Brazilian animal science congress, i.e. the AnnualMeeting for the Brazilian Animal Science Society in July
2012.
This event brought together nine scientists from four
continents to present the state-of-the-art in this field, whichis crucial for the development of technologies allowing
for high animal productivity with a reduced environmentalimpact (methane emissions, land use) and higher efficiency
(low production costs and high feed conversion).
Through this event, several direct contacts were made
between the many Brazilian research groups present andthe leaders of some of the most important research teams
in the world, thus creating potential research, training andtechnological development opportunities.
Research activities of Labex-Europe Program Coordinators
Coordinators of the Labex-Europe Program,from left to right: Pedro Arcuri (2009-2013),Luis Vieira (2005-2008) & Elisio Contini (2002-2004)
Marcos
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Natural resource managementNatural resource management tailored to and associated with knowledge-based technologies is a prerequisite forsustainable, efficient and intensive agriculture. This association provides a unique opportunity for development in
harmony with environmental conservation. Agriculture thus becomes a solutionnot a problemwhen biodiversity and
environmental conservation are taken into full account.
ver the last 40 years, cropyields and agriculturalarea have increased by 4%
(200% overall) and 30%, respectively,in Brazil. Agricultural technologydevelopment has reduced extensiveagricultural land use. Indigenousland, biology reserves and naturalparks officially account for 60% ofall land in Brazil. The Low-carbonAgriculture Program that has beenunder way for 2 years in Brazil hasprovided the necessary fundingand incentives for farmers to adoptsustainable agricultural practicesand technologies.
The Brazilian agriculturalresearch system, coordinated byEMBRAPA and including over70 universities and agriculturalresearch institutions, is developingsustainable agriculturalintensification practices to boostproductivity while generatingenvironmental services. Newtechnologies and policies arebeing developed under this systemto ensure that this Low-carbonAgriculture Program becomes aneconomic reality. Research has
contributed to the development ofother forest protection policies andimpact reduction practices, leadingto a reduction in deforestation in theAmazon region.
system indicators for environmentalmanagement of rural activities. Theteam used an integrated approachto assess palm oil according tointernational environmentalcertification standards and sensostrictu sustainability criteria. Thisresearch was aimed at developingindicators for tree crop-basedsystems: ecological integrity,economic vitality, social equityof rural production activitiesgeared towards promoting localsustainable development. This workconsolidated the partners scientificadvance with respect to agriculturalsustainability.
Remote sensing and imageanalysis methods are now essentialtools for agricultural and land-usemonitoring. The Labex Programhosted Dr Margareth Simes toshare expertise and methods withTerritory, Environment, RemoteSensing and Spatial Informationjoint research unit (AgroParisTech,CIRAD, IRSTEA) in Montpellierand study land use and landcover dynamics assessment for asustainable agriculture. The results
will generate reliable tools tosupport public policymaking duringthe crucial transition from extensiveagriculture to an ecologicallyintensive model.
The Labex Program has contributedto natural resource managementthrough the work of three scientists:
Dr Jos Madeira, the firstLabex scientist focusing on thistheme, joined the research teamof the Laboratory for the Studyof Interactions between Soil,Agrosystems and Water Systems(INRA, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro)to study the hydrology of cultivatedenvironments. His work involvedmodeling interactions betweenagricultural management practicesand environmental indicesthrough model development and
validation and the development ofvegetation indices for crops with adiscontinuous canopy (vineyards,orchards, etc.). Image analysisdata, obtained in collaborationwith the Remote Sensing Centerin Montpellier (France), were usedin this research. The developedmodels describe water flows and theimpact of management practices inmicrocatchments where intensiveagricultural land use is under way.
The Labex Program then hosted
Dr Geraldo Stachetti Rodriguesin the Performance of Tree Crop-Based Systems research unit(CIRAD) to carry out an impactstudy and develop integrated
O
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Integrated index of palm oil crop
sustainabilityAn environmental management methodintegrated with a sustainability index was
developed for palm oil cropping (CIRAD/Labex collaboration). This evaluation tool
was tested in Brazil and then on largeestates and smallholdings in Indonesia to
verify its relevance in different productionsettings. It was presented at various
workshops as a decision aid for preparing plantations
for certification. It was also the focus of internationalnegotiation for the improvement of the palm oil sector.
Performance indicator system for traditional
agroforestry (TAPIS)The Characterization and evaluation of the agroecological
performance of associated cropping systems in thehumid tropics project developed the TAPIS indicator
system (CIRAD/Labex collaboration) using data from
Cameroonian agroforestry systems. It incorporatesagroeconomic and agroecological performance indicators
that are used to classify plantations and providerecommendations to enhance sustainability.
Methodological platform for sustainability
assessment
As part of the Environmental Accounting, SustainabilityIndicators and Environmental Management of Rural
Activities program (Labex/INRA collaboration),this platform was developed to study the energy
and economic performance of the banana sector in
Guadeloupe.
Contact: Geraldo Stachetti Rodrigues,
ACTIVITIES
Geraldo Stachetti
Brazilian scientist hostedJos Madeira (EMBRAPA) stayed for nearly 3 yearsat LISAH (April 2002-February 2005) to study thecontribution of the spectral reflectance of soils in the
mapping of soil properties.
Contact: [email protected]
Modeling management practiceenvironmental qualityinteractions
Models developed to calculate vegetation indices of deciduous crops (vines)
via remote sensing enable simulation of complex systems (microcatchmentswith intensive agricultural land use) for the purpose of assessing water flows,
associated inputs and the impact of management practices.
Contact: Jos Madeira,[email protected]
ACTIVITIES
Jos Madeira
Did you work in collaboration withBrazil in general and with EMBRAPAin particular before a Labex researcher
joined your team?We had hosted Brazilian doctoral studentsand visitors, including an EMBRAPAresearcher, but not within a formalframework like that of Labex.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?Jos Madeira, the EMBRAPA researcher,had a precise idea that we developed withhim, i.e. using the spectral reflectance
of soils that can be observed by remotesensing to map soil properties, knowledgeof which is extremely limited worldwide.The results were very positive andprompted the continuation of thisline of research. We organized the firstinternational workshop devoted to digital
soil mapping, an event that severalBrazilian researchers attended.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms ofpartnerships between your team andBrazilian institutions?
We planned to develop a joint projectwith EMBRAPA on the environmentalassessment of the impacts of sugarcanegrowing, an activity that is increasing
worldwide and in Brazil as a result ofthe need for biofuels. A first versionof the project, including an EMBRAPA
and Campinas University laboratory, iscurrently on hold as it has been hard tofind an experimental site that meets thedesired scientific and operational criteria.
Contact : Marc Voltz, [email protected]
I N T E R V I E WMarc Voltzis aformer Directorof the FrenchLaboratoire dtudedes InteractionsSolAgrosystmeHydrosystmewhich hosted aBrazilian researcherfor 3 years.
Natural resource management
Host laboratoryLISAH joint research unit
Laboratoire dtude des Interactions Sol,Agrosystme et Hydrosystme
(INRA/IRD/Montpellier SupAgro)
70 scientific and technical staffDirector: Jrme Molenat,[email protected]
www.umr-lisah.fr
Scientific correspondent:Philippe Lagacherie, [email protected]
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Brazilian researcher hostedGeraldo Stachetti Rodrigues (EMBRAPA)stayed for 2 and a half years at the internal research
unit Performance of Tree Crop-Based Systems (March2007-September 2009) to participate in thedevelopment of a tool to assess agroenvironmental
impacts of industries based on tree crops.
Contact: [email protected]
Host laboratoryPerformance of Tree Crop-Based Systems
internal research unit(CIRAD)
21 scientific and technical staffDirector: ric Gohet, [email protected]/ur/systemes_de_perennes
Scientific correspondent: Jean-Luc Battini,[email protected]
I N T E R V I E W
Jean-Luc Battiniandric Gohetarerespectively the former and currentDirector of the French internal researchunit Performance of Tree Crop-BasedSystems which hosted a Brazilian
researcher for 2 years.
Did you work in collaboration with Brazilin general and with EMBRAPA in particularbefore a Labex researcher joined your team?In recent years, without developing formalcollaborations, our internal research unit hashad regular contacts with Brazilian researchinstitutions such as CEPEC/CEPLAC (cocoatree research), the Campinas AgriculturalInstitute (coffee tree research), as well as withEMBRAPA research centers in the Amazonianregion of Manaus (natural rubber and oilpalm research, Rio Urubu research station).Our research unit also provides agricultural
expertise to oil palm and natural rubberagroindustries in the Amazonian region ofBahia.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?This experience was highly positive, but tooshort. The active collaboration of GeraldoStachetti within our team, working onagroenvironmental impact assessment,opened our eyes to the importance of takingsocioeconomic factors and integrated
analysis of all types of indicators intoaccount. We tested the agroenvironmentalimpact management program developed byGeraldo at EMBRAPA (APOIA method) onsome of our oil palm agroindustrial partnersestates.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms of partnershipsbetween your team and Brazilian
institutions?Yes, of course. I am no longer the Director ofthis internal research unit, but this morningI spoke with Dr Maria do Rosario LobatoRodrigues, one of the heads of the EMBRAPAoil palm research program at Manaus, who iscurrently being hosted by the research unitfor a stay to conduct sabbatical research inecophysiology.
Contacts: Jean-Luc Battini,[email protected]
& ric Gohet, [email protected]
Environmental performance indices obtained in many
case studies (n=177) carried out using the APOIA-NovoRural method gave rise to an interesting hypothesis
and a valuable environmental management working
premise. A broad range of different production scalesand agricultural sectors were taken into account in these
studies, while considering five sustainability dimensions:(i) landscape ecology, (ii) environmental quality,
(iii) economic values, (iv) sociocultural values,and (v) management and administration.
The results show that the relatively greater importanceof the management and administration dimension could
be explained by the influence of the farmer profile,the managerial capacity and institutional relationships
on all of the environmental impact factors. This meansthat the development and adoption of environmental
management tools, such as the APOIA-NovoRural
indicator system, could be a priority initiative forpromoting sustainable agriculture.
For further information: Rodrigues G.S. et al., 2010.
Contact: Geraldo Stachetti Rodrigues,[email protected]
APOIA-NovoRural method:Environmental Impact Assessment of Rural Activities
Environmentalperformancein
dices
Performance indices (n=177)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.00.50
0.55
0.60
0.65
0.70
0.75
0.80
0.85 (i) landscape ecology(iia) atmosphere(iib) water(iic) soil(iii) economic values(iv) sociocultural values(v) management and administration
Jean-Luc Battini ric Gohet
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I N T E R V I E WJean-Philippe Tonneauis Director ofthe Spatial Information and Analysis forTerritories and Ecosystems joint researchunit which hosted a Brazilian researcherfor 2 years.
Did you work in collaboration with Brazilin general and with EMBRAPA in particular
before a Labex researcher joined your team?Some CIRAD and TETIS researchers havebeen collaborating with EMBRAPA for over 25
years, but on topics (agroecology, territorialdevelopment, production systems) thatdiffer from those accounted for in the Labexagreement. One of our scientists is postedat a research site in the Amazon region,in partnership with EMBRAPA Eastern
Amazonia (Par). The goal was to integratespatial information obtained by remotesensing in programming and planningactivities carried out within this framework(agroecological zoning, citizenshipterritories).
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?The results together with Margareth havebeen highly positive.We have establishedcloser ties with EMBRAPA research centersthrough workshops geared towards
information exchange and the developmentof international projects. From a moreoperational standpoint, this collaborationfostered exchanges on methods for imageanalysis and processing (small plot patternsin Africa/large plot patterns in Brazil). Shealso enabled us to focus on operational waysto combine spatial and landscape analysismethods.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms of partnershipsbetween your team and Brazilianinstitutions?Many cooperation initiatives are under
way (involvement of a hosted scientist incosupervision of the doctoral studies of aKenyan researcher). The remote sensingmethods developed could be tailored tosmallholdings in Brazil. A project wassubmitted under the Fondation Agropolis/CAPES call for projects on interactionsbetween agricultural practices andbiodiversity. A project on the qualificationof MODIS phenological products viaagroclimatic modeling and field data wasapproved by the French Programme Nationalde Tldtection Spatiale.
Contact: Jean-Philippe Tonneau,[email protected]
Brazilian researcher hostedMargareth Simes (EMBRAPA) stayed for2 years at the joint research unit TETIS (October2010-October 2012) to study the potential of using
remote sensing data for monitoring agricultural
systems and low-carbon agriculture land use dynamics.
Contacts: [email protected]@[email protected]
Host laboratoryTETIS joint research unit
Spatial Information and Analysisfor Territories and Ecosystems
(AgroParisTech/CIRAD/IRSTEA)90 scientific and technical staffDirector: Jean-Philippe Tonneau,[email protected]
http://tetis.teledetection.fr
Scientific correspondent:Jean-Philippe Tonneau
Natural resource management
Contributing to the Labex program was a rewardingexperience, especially via: i) capacity building
(supervision of African, Brazilian and French students),ii) participation in an international research network
on land-use change dynamics, and iii) project submissionfor European funding. These initiatives enabled EMBRAPAresearchers and universities to participate or have a leadership
role in projects undertaken within the framework of thisnetwork and will lead to an extension of this scientific
partnership in future Labex activities.
Three cooperation priorities were delineated with theEuropean partners, associating advances in remote sensing
with the guidelines of the Brazilian Low Carbon Agriculture
program.Remote sensing-based agricultural land-use
dynamics: use of low-cost temporal satellite imaging data to: monitor agricultural land-use change dynamics;
locate areas where sustainable agricultural productionsystems are set up, including integrated forestry-agriculture-
livestock production systems or two-crop systems.
This work is carried out by semiautomatic generation of
land-use maps and by satellite image indexing with theaim of analyzing variations in agricultural practices and the
sustainability of the Brazilian agricultural system.
Approved project: Qualification of MODIS phenological
products via agroclimatic modeling and field data,
funded by the National Spatial Remote-sensing Program-
EMBRAPA,CIRAD UMR TETIS, IRD UMR Espace-DEV, UMRGETS (CNRS, IRD, CNES, University of Toulouse).
Biodiversity and agricultural
production:biodiversity, as a sustainableagricultural practice component (as defined
by EMBRAPA in the Amazon region), and its
role in mitigating climate change, are studiedthrough a multiscale approach involvingremotely-sensed temporal profiles combined
with sustainability indices and land-use modelling.
The approved ROBIM (Role of Biodiversity in Climate
Change Mitigation) project, funded by the European
Commission (FP7) and involving 12 international researchinstitutions, is important for the financing of REDD+ tropical
forest projects.
The international workshop on Territorial dynamics in theAmazon by remote sensing(Montpellier, January 2012) led tothe set up and submission of joint research projects geared
towards enhancing the integration of Franco-Brazilian teamsworking in the Amazon and broadening current scientific
networks.
Environmental indices for agricultural system
sustainability assessment: research carried out by the
EMBRAPA scientist Rodrigo Ferraz, as part of a cosuperviseddoctoral thesis (Labex, University of Rennes 2/Costel in France
and the Rio de Janeiro State University in Brazil), generated asystem of indicators to assess the hydrological sustainability
of sugarcane plantation development and its impact onenvironmental services. This is especially important for Brazil,
where biofuel production is rapidly expanding.
Contact: Margareth Simes,
COMMENT & RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Margareth Simes
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1. Sustainable development reserve of Uatum(Amazon)
2. National forest reserve of Tapajs (Par)
3. Agricultural region with sugarcane plantations,South of Goias
1
2
3
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2
3
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DAInformation
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R
ap
hae
lSantos/
EMBRAPA
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and its control. The proposedapproach involved comparativesensorial physiology. Her work,
carried out in collaborationwith Dr Sylvie Issanchou, dealtmainly with assessing consumerreactions to new food productswith improved nutritional qualities.Their work included participationin the TrueFood project*, partiallysponsored by the EuropeanCommission, and the use ofadvanced experimental economicstools.
Concomitantly, Dr AmauriRosenthalworked with theLaboratoire de Gnie des ProcdsMicrobiologiques et Alimentaires(INRA, AgroSup Dijon) headed byProf Patrick Gervais. The aim wasto study the effects of high pressureand microwaves on bacterial spores,which represent a major challengein food processing as outbreaksof these organisms could lead to apublic health hazard. This researchgenerated insight into the role of thespore water content on cell viabilityand spore inactivation mechanisms.
* www.truefood.eu
abex-Europe hascontributed to foodtechnology research
through four researchers:
The first researcher, Dr ReginaLago, a fat and oil specialist,collaborated with the joint researchunit Agropolymer Engineering andEmerging Technologies (CIRAD,UM2, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro),whose overall aim is to gain greaterinsight into the functionalitiesof plant products and theirconstituents so as to enhance theirfood and nonfood performances.The Brazilian castorbean plant,Ricinus communis, was selected dueto its biofuel potential or as a sourceof vegetable oil of high quality andvalue for industrial chemistry.
Then, Dr Heloisa Filgueiras,a postharvest physiologyspecialist, was the first Labex-Europe researcher postedoutside of Montpellier. After abrief collaboration with PatrickVaroquaux (INRA), she workedat the University of Avignon and
INRA on a joint interest projectentitled the Effects of vegetableconservation pretreatments under
modified atmospheric conditions.A research partnership wasestablished with the Laboratoire de
Physiologie des Fruits et Lgumes(UAPV), with Huguette Sallanonas scientific correspondent, toimprove the quality of vegetableproducts from farm to fork bydeveloping the entire Fruit andVegetable sector. There were tworesearch focuses: studying theresponse of plants and their fruitto environmental conditions, andenhancing postharvest fresh fruitand vegetable conservation. Thework spanned a broad range, frommangoes to endives, with the aimof studying possible alternatives tochemical conservation of minimallyprocessed vegetables. The objectivewas to control metabolic processesin order to hamper enzymaticdarkening and senescencewhile preserving the functionalconstituents.
Lastly, two scientists took charge ofthe Agrifood Technologies themein Dijon. Dr Rosires Delizajoinedthe team of the Centre des Sciences
du Got et de lAlimentation (CNRS,INRA, University of Burgundy)which studies food behavior
Agrifood technologies
L
Brazil i s a major global player for several staple food products and an exporter of manufactured food products.
One of EMBRAPAs priorities is thus to enhance the competitiveness of Brazilian agriculture via t he added value
of agricultural products while ensuring food security and safety. Agrifood technologies was an obvious choice
as a Labex-Europe research theme because of EMBRAPAs long-standing tradition of excellence with respect to
food processing and security.
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BECOMINGAMEMBEROFA LABEXTEAMISANIMPORTANTCHANGEOFLIFE. We are senior scientists with
a family and career and thereforehave much to gain, but we also leave much
behind.
The establishment of Labex in Franceenabled the development of prospecting
activities aimed at enhancing the dialoguewith other EMBRAPA stakeholders, especially by
producing notes and drawing up technical reports on new
findings and disseminating them within networks in Brazil.Discussions have been under way, but the reactions have
not measured up to the actions despite the fact that theinformation is always read and analyzed.
The choice of a theme for selecting a researcher must
take into account the relevance and position of the themeat the frontier of knowledge and the existing or growing
critical mass at EMBRAPA and of the Brazilian research
system. The researchers work thus has more chanceof success, which does not mean that he or she does
not need to be proactive. The EMBRAPA's InternationalRelations management and the scientific management
thus have a role to play so that the Labex scientists cancontribute to developing scientific relations with Europe.
As the technology of oils and fats was my research field,
Jean Graille (CIRAD) was my French correspondent. He
retired a month later. The IATE joint research unit was thencontacted. The laboratories and the pilot plant that were
set up still host the Lipid Technology Laboratory (CIRAD).
We provided support for a CAPES-COFECUB* projectcoordinated by the Agricultural Instrumentation Center
(EMBRAPA). We worked on the castorbean plant which
became very popular a year later in Brazil on account ofits bioenergy and fine chemistry potential. The results ledto publications even after my return to Brazil. A student
(University of Rio de Janeiro) worked on the projectfor 6 months and a patent request was submitted (seePublications, p. 38-41). A doctoral student (University ofCampinas) received training from the Lipid research teamat the Institut des Membranes in Montpellier.
At that time, the centre did not have sufficient research
potential with respect to oils and fats and the impact ofmy stay could have been more significant. After my return
to Brazil, I focused more on international relations andbecame Director of the EMBRAPA Food Technology
Center in April 2008. I still have links with the IATE jointresearch unit. We presented a joint project at the ConselhoNacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfico e Tecnolgico. I wasinvited to Paris by theAssociation Franaise pour ltudedes Corps Gras to give a talk on castor and jatropha oils.Two researchers specializing on oils and fats were hiredto be able to develop joint projects and establish closer
relations with CIRAD and other French teams in the
sector.
Contact: Regina Lago, [email protected]
* CAPES: Coordinao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior BrazilianMinistry of Education / COFECUB: Comit Franais dvaluation de la Coopration
Universitaire et Scientifique avec le Brsil
COMMENT
Regina Lago
Brazilian scientist hostedRegina Lago (EMBRAPA) stayed for nearly 3years at the IATE joint research unit (October2002-October 2005) to identify new plant
enzyme sources isolated from Brazilian biomass
(development of a castorbean lipase extractionprocess) and processing castor oil to generate lipid
derivatives of high nutritional value.
Contact: [email protected]
Host laboratoryIATE Agropolymer Engineering and Emerging
Technologies joint research unit(Montpellier SupAgro/INRA/UM2/CIRAD)78 permanent scientific and technical staff
Director: Hugo De Vries,[email protected]://umr-iate.cirad.fr
Scientific correspondents:Stphane Guilbert, [email protected]
& Pierre Villeneuve, [email protected]
I N T E R V I E WPierre VilleneuveandMichel Pinaare researchers at the AgropolymerEngineering and Emerging Technologies
joint research unit which hosted aBrazilian researcher for 3 years.
Did you work in collaboration with Brazilin general and with EMBRAPA in particularbefore a Labex researcher joined yourteam?Not with Brazil in general. However,before the arrival of the Labex researcher,the IATE joint research unit conducted acontractual study in collaboration with ProfDaniel Barrera-Arelano of the Universityof Campinas on sugarcane bagassedevelopment.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?This experience was a source of mutualenrichment, especially on account of RginaLagos in-depth understanding of thechemistry of fats and oils.
This collaborationwas also highlyproductive in termsof publications andpapers presentedat internationalconferences, and withrespect to studentexchanges and humanrelations.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms of partnershipsbetween your team and Brazilianinstitutions?
We are still in contact and exchanges withProf Rgina Lago are ongoing. However,no concrete initiatives are currently under
way due to our current focuses of research,especially with respect to castorbean plants,
which is no longer one of our priorities.
Contacts: Pierre Villeneuve,[email protected]
et Michel Pina, [email protected]
Agrifood technologies
Pierre Vileneuve
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Brazilian scientist hostedHeloisa Filgueiras (EMBRAPA) spent 3 years(November 2005-July 2008) with the Fruit Physiology
team of the Scurit et qualit des produits doriginevgtale joint research unit (INRA/UAPV), and thenwith the research team of the Laboratoire de Physiologiedes Fruits et Lgumes (UAPV) to study possiblealternatives to chemical conservation of minimally
processed vegetables.
Contact: [email protected]
Host laboratoriesSQPOV joint research unit
Scurit et qualit des produits doriginevgtale (Plant product safety and quality)
(INRA/UAPV)49 scientific and technical staff
Director: Catherine Renard,[email protected]://tinyurl.com/umrsqpov
Scientific correspondent:Patrick Varoquaux (retired)
Laboratoire de Physiologie des Fruits et Lgumes(Fruit and vegetable physiology laboratory)(UAPV)
10 scientific and technical staffDirector: Huguette Sallanon,
[email protected]://agrosciences.univ-avignon.fr/fr/mini-site/
miniagro/recherche.html
Scientific correspondent: Huguette Sallanon
I N T E R V I E W
My arrival in June 2005 to replace Rgina Lago wasLabex-Europes first experience in posting a scientist
outside of Montpellier in the Scurit et qualit desproduits dorigine vgtale joint research unit (INRA/
UAPV). The research project was then focused on the
interface between in natura and processed foodstuffsand on possible alternatives to chemical conservation of
minimally processed vegetables.
As the internal reorganization of INRA changed thepriorities of the Avignon center, Labex agrifood technology
activities were moved to the Laboratoire de physiologie des
fruits et lgumes (UAPV). The initial line of research wasthen strengthened, as a consequence of more rigorousrequirements concerning the presence of residues and astudy was conducted on the use of chlorine in the food
industry.
The UAPV team initially did not know EMBRAPA welland had little international experience despite its high
scientific level. This partnership also coincided with the
launching of the Ple Europen dInnovation Fruits et Lgumes(European Innovation Cluster for Fruits and Vegetables)
and the end of all INRA research (Avignon center) onvegetables in natura. Despite this, the fact that EMBRAPAwas present enabled UAPV to strengthen its image as a
research institution and to establish closer links with theagricultural research cluster in Montpellier (especially
with CIRAD via the Qualisud joint research unit). Itspartnership was strengthened with the Universit BlaisePascal(Clermont-Ferrand, France). Through the project,relations were developed with the Dutch Universities
of Radboud (Nimgue) and Wageningen (WUR) and,
through the latter, with the Europeanlaboratory LaserLab Europe (Italy).
In addition, five Brazilian scientists
(from the EMBRAPA agriculturalinstrumentation and food industry
centers, So Paulo State University,Jaboticabal, Cara Federal University)
were invited by UAPV to set up, inits Fruit and Vegetable Physiology
Laboratory, methods and technologiesdeveloped and/or adapted in Brazil.
INTERNATIONALRELATIONSHAVEBEENONGOINGWITHSEVERAL EMBRAPACENTERSAND BRAZILIANUNIVERSITIESSINCEMYRETURN. A project to promote Brazilian tropicalfruits (CAPES/WUR) made it possible to continueresearch by scientists from EMBRAPA and different
Brazilian and European universities until 2010 (FluminenseFederal University, Paraba Federal University, two WUR
laboratories, the European LaserLab platform).
Labex Europe enabled UAPV to become part of the
Franco-Brazilian doctoral school and to draw up theagreements required for joint thesis supervision. The
partnership activities of EMBRAPA and CIRAD havebeen followed up by a postdoctoral position and visits by
EMBRAPA researchers and Brazilian partner institutions.I also participated in the UAPV Masters and Doctoral
programs on Produce Quality Management and in severalsteering committees for doctoral students.
Contact: Heloisa Filgueiras, [email protected]
COMMENT
Heloisa Filgueiras
Huguette Sallanonis Director of theScurit et qualitdes produitsdorigine vgtale
joint researchunit which hosteda Brazilian
researcher for 3 years.
Did you work in collaboration withBrazil in general and with EMBRAPAin particular before a Labex researcher
joined your team?No, we had no previous collaborations withBrazil.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?This collaboration was highly rewarding.We were very lucky, as a laboratory, tohost a scientist with such long-standingresearch experience. Heloisa Filgueirasboosted our insight on postharvest aspectsof fruit crops, especially tropical fruit. We
were thus able to develop research on pre-prepared mango processing, co-superviseseveral doctoral theses and were awardedseveral Franco-Brazilian cooperation
tenders. We developed many exchangeswith other Brazilian partners and hostedeight confirmed researchers, post-doctoralfellows and doctoral candidates from Brazilfor stays of a few weeks to several months.Heloisa Filgueiras stay was highly beneficial
for us, both scientifically and culturally.The entire laboratory has discovered Brazil,stayed there and everyone hopes to return.
We would all have liked her to stay longerand the laboratory was sad when shereturned to Brazil.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms of partnershipsbetween your team and Brazilianinstitutions?
Yes, we have remained in contact withHeloisa Filgueiras and with other Brazilianresearchers with whom we have had
exchanges. A professor from our laboratoryis currently on a trip to Brazil, which is nowa preferential country for the developmentof UAPVs international relations and,of course, we hope to continue thispartnership.
Contact: Huguette Sallanon,[email protected]
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I became involved in different
European research projects rightafter my arrival at the Centre desSciences du Got et de lAlimentation
(CSGA). The TrueFood* project was aimed
at gaining further insight into consumers
perceptions, expectations and attitudesconcerning innovations in traditional
product manufacturing processes and theirwillingness to pay for them (e.g. using high hydrostatic
pressure to lower the salt content in Serrano ham).
Experimental economics tools, combined with sensorialanalysis, enabled an assessment of consumers willingness
to pay for low-fat, low-salt chips (CSGA partnership
with theAlimentation et Sciences Sociales research unitand six private French laboratories). French consumers
attitudes towards foreign meat were also studied in aproject (partnership with the Purpan Engineering School).
The ongoing VinPest project is aimed at understandingconsumers views concerning pesticide use in wine
production (collaboration with the cole de Commerce deDijon, Institut de Management du Vin, Bureau Interprofessionneldes Vins de Bourgogne, Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vinsde la Bourgogne, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay).This research is being continued through a Brazilian
postdoctoral fellow. Labex also enabled me to submitseveral proposals after my return to Brazil.
MYPARTICIPATIONIN EUROPEANPROJECTSIMPROVEDBRAZILIANRESEARCHNETWORKS, INCLUDINGTHOSEOFDIFFERENT EMBRAPARESEARCHCENTERSANDUNIVERSITIES.Coorganization of the 6th Ibero-American Sensory
Analysis Symposium (2010) and the 10th Sensory ScienceSymposium (2013, Brazil), highlights the cooperation
capacity of Labex. Dr Sylvie Issanchou and I have visitedseveral EMBRAPA research centers, which has given rise
to new collaboration opportunities. I have establishedcontacts through the INRA network, especially with
the INRA Clermont-Ferrand-Theix center, supplyinginformation derived from the Brazilian scientific community
conducting research in the human nutrition field and open
to capacity building opportunities.
Contact: Rosires Deliza, [email protected]
* Traditional United Europe Food: www.truefood.eu
COMMENT
Rosires Deliza
Brazilian scientist hostedRosires Deliza (EMBRAPA) spent 2 years withCSGA (May 2009-July 2011) to study the impact ofinformation and innovations on consumers food
choices and their willingness to pay.
Contact: [email protected]
Host laboratoryCSGA - Centre des Sciences du Got
et de lAlimentation(Center for taste and food sciences)
(CNRS/University of Burgundy/INRA)72 scientific and technical staffDirector: Luc Pnicaud,
[email protected]/csga/index.php
Scientific correspondent: Sylvie Issanchou,[email protected]
I N T E R V I E WSylvie Issanchouis a researcher at theCentre des Sciences du Got et delAlimentation which hosted a Brazilian
researcher for 2 years.
Did you work in collaboration withBrazil in general and with EMBRAPAin particular before a Labex researcher
joined your team?Prior to Rosires Delizas stay, my team andI had no collaborations with EMBRAPA orgenerally with Brazil.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?This experience was highly positive. It isobviously very interesting for a team to host
an experienced researcher in terms of boththe research and international outreach.Rosires Deliza was involved in differentteam projects, focusing on the issue ofconsumer acceptance of innovations.
We benefited from her experience in thisfield, especially with respect to quality-
oriented approaches. She was also involvedin attracting other researchers to ourlaboratory.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms ofpartnerships between your team andBrazilian institutions?
Yes, there is a promotional follow-up in the form of publications on theresearch projects in which Rosires Delizaparticipated during her stay. Moreover,Rosires Deliza is still involved in anexperimental assessment of consent tothe reduction of pesticide use in wineproduction (VinPest project funded by theFrench Ministry of Ecology, SustainableDevelopment and Energy), a project that
kicked off during her stay and which willcontinue until late 2013.
Contact: Sylvie Issanchou,[email protected]
Agrifood technologies
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
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2,5
NoHHPHHPNoHHPHHP
Men
WomenMeanreservationprice
s()
Results showing the HHP technology effect on the willingness to pay forSerrano ham by French consumers.
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Host laboratoryPMB research team
Microbiologiques et Biotechnologiques(Microbiological
and biotechnological processes)(formerly the Laboratoire de Gnie des Procds Microbiologiques et Alimentaires)
(University of Burgundy/AgroSup Dijon)20 scientific and technical staff
Director of PAM joint research unit:Patrick Gervais, [email protected]
www.umr-pam.fr
Scientific correspondent: Patrick Gervais
I N T E R V I E W
I participated in Labex-Europe in the team of theLaboratoire de Gnie des Procds Microbiologiqueset Alimentaires (now the Procds Microbiologiqueset Biotechnologiques research team). My research
was focused on bacterial spore resistance to microwaves
and high pressure in dehydrated foods and shed newlight on the role of the internal spore water content
on cell viability and potential inactivation mechanismson technological development. Brazilian students were
involved in this research via the CAPES/BRAFAGRI *program. The International Food Safety Group, linked with
the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering,
was founded and organized its first workshop entitledFood sanitary security: advances and trends, with around ahundred participants from all continents.
Because of the presence of Brazilian researchers,discussion meetings were held on scientific cooperation
opportunities and new research proposals concerningnew food conservation technologies and the
encapsulation of bioactive molecules. The 2nd workshop
was held in Valencia (Spain, 2012) and another is plannedfor 2013 in Brazil.
The brokerage events of the EuropeanCommission Biocircle** project should
also be mentioned. A research proposal
in partnership with the Cyted***program aimed at promoting Ibero-
American native fruits as a source offunctional ingredients was submitted by
the University of Monterey (Mexico)and the Instituto del Frio (Spain) inorder to facilitate cooperation andinteraction between research groups working on
functional foods in Latin America. As a Labex researcher,
I also organized missions (scientists and Brazilianmanufacturers in the fruit processing sector) in industries
and European research institutions as ANINTEGRALPARTOFTHE BRAZILIANGOVERNMENTALINNOVATIONANDTECHNOLOGICALDEVELOPMENTPROGRAM****WHICHISAIMEDATCREATINGTECHNOLOGYPARKS.
Contact: Amauri Rosenthal,
[email protected]* http://capes.gov.br/cooperacao-internacional/franca/capesbrafagri
** www.biocircle-project.eu
*** www.cyted.org**** www.abdi.com.br/Paginas/Default.aspx
COMMENT
Amauri Rosenthal
Patrick Gervaisisthe Director of theProcds Alimentaireset Microbiologiquesjoint research unit
which hosted aBrazilian researcher for2 years.
Did you work in collaboration with Brazilin general and with EMBRAPA in particularbefore a Labex researcher joined your team?No.
What conclusions do you draw from theexperience? What has this collaborationcontributed to your team?From a research standpoint, Dr Rosenthalcosupervised the work of two Brazilianscientists. He also initiated an internationalFood Safety workshop within the frameworkof a working group of the International
Commission of Agricultural Engineering,which was attended by around a hundredscientists.All of these activities fullycontributed to the scientific outreach ofour team and I am delighted with ourparticipation in EMBRAPAs Labex-Europe
program.
Now that the Brazilian scientist hasreturned home, is there any follow-up and/or consequences in terms of partnershipsbetween your team and Brazilianinstitutions?Two Franco-Brazilian cooperation programs(BRAGRAGRI and BRAFITEC) involvingEMBRAPA and AgroSup Dijon are under way.
We are also collaborating with Dr MarciaPedrini, Natal University, who workedfor a year as a postdoctoral fellow on thecellular vectorization of active molecule andplasmids via osmoporation.
Contact: Patrick Gervais,[email protected]
Brazilian scientist hostedAmauri Rosenthal (EMBRAPA) spent nearly2 years with GPMA (2009-2011) to study bacterialspore resistance to thermal stress.
Contact: [email protected]
130c
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(A)
1 bar
(B)
5 barInactivation of spores ofBacillus subtiliswith different water activities by heattreatment at different pressures.(A) 1 bar and (B) 5 bar (Tiburski,Rosenthal & Gervais, 2012, submitted).
D
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British and Brazilian scientists to
develop international networks andenhance insight on this crop.
This theme is now associated withthe development of high throughputphenotyping procedures, whichwill be the first Labex theme tobe studied in Germany from 2013(p. 13). EMBRAPA is extendingLabex-Europe by developing thistheme in collaboration with theJulius Khn Institute (JKI), FederalResearch Centre for CultivatedPlants (Germany), in order to merge
Brazilian tropical plant scienceexpertise with the plant health andproductivity expertise of JKI. Thisresearch will be aimed at developingnoninvasive methods and processes(image analysis, NMR, sensors, etc.)to enhance plant breeding, assessthe biological resource potentialand identify biological traits andfunctions that could be applied inagriculture.
* New methods for interpreting genotypingand phenotyping data derived from the germplasm
of major crops.
n the light of these global
challenges, EMBRAPAdecided to develop anadvanced plant biology program,in line with the rapid progress inmolecular tools and the developmentof omic science*. Over the last10 years, three Labex-Europeresearchers have been working onthis theme with three crops that arecrucial with respect to food securityin Brazil and elsewhere:
Rice is a staple food in Brazil.Many initiatives have focused on
improving its tolerance to differentabiotic stresses (drought, salinity,etc.). This trait is hard to improvein conventional genetic selectionprograms. Enhanced molecularinsight into genes involved inthe resistance/susceptibility toabiotic stress should facilitate thedevelopment of new varieties thatare better adapted to environmentalconstraints. Diseasesleaf streak, Panamadiseasethreaten bananaproductionin most growing regions. Theirmonitoring is costly and thepesticides used are toxic to humansand the environment. These threatsalso include banana bacterial wilt,
Moko disease and banana weevils.
Most bananas and plantains aresusceptible to at least one diseaseor pest and no farmers currentlygrow improved banana or plantainvarieties. Rothamsted Research (UK)is investigating virulence andpathogenicity mechanisms ofMycosphaerella graminicola, apathogenic fungus ofwheat of thesame genus causing Black Sigatokain banana, thus extending this firststudy. Brazil is still a net importer ofwheat, so this is a priority crop for
EMBRAPA. The research is gearedtowards understanding fungalvirulence on wheat plants, by meansof functional and comparativegenomics, to better manage cropsunder warm temperate conditionsin the South as well as tropicalclimate like in the central savanna-like Cerrado regions of Brazil. Inaddition, high temperatures areconducive to wheat infestation byMagnaporthe oryzaein Brazil, whichis related to Rice Blast, a majordisease worldwide. Climate changescenarios forecast European summerto be warmer, posing a wide rangeof challenges to UK crops thuswarranting collaborations between
Advanced biology and molecularplant-microorganism interactions
I
World population growth, especially in poor count ries, the conti nuous degradation of a rable land, reduced
access to drinking water and climate change are major challenges for agricultural production and food
security. Plant improvement is a key approach to address the need to increase agricultural production
while reduc ing the use of pest icides and fer tili zers, thus enabling the development of sustai nable
agricultural practices.
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Labex-Europe was an extremelyrewarding personal and professional
experience even though I was
faced with challenges almost daily.
I realized in my first months in Francethat my mission would reach beyondjust the work, that is, researchit was
necessary to create credibility withinthe Montpellier scientific community
and to perpetuate it, which was an even tougher taskabout the Labex Program concept. This was the first time