“When we talk about biologicals, Brazil is not only a country that uses them, but is also a leader in innovation and development of these solutions…”
Maiara Carolina Jacobucci is Export Manager in the Plant Health department at Bioiberica, based in Spain. Jacobucci is an agronomist who graduated from the State University of Maringá and holds a master’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and L’Institut Agro & AgroParisTech.
Emilhano Stefanello Lima is Global Head of Seedcare & Biologicals at Syngenta, based in Switzerland, and graduated from the Federal University of MS.
AgriBrasilis – Did your international experience change your perception of bioinputs?
Maiara Jacobucci – Absolutely. My motivation for leaving my job in 2016 and coming to Europe to study involved learning more about bioinputs and how to farm in a more sustainable environment, at a time when the subject was just beginning in Brazil and Europe was already a benchmark. The challenge was to internalize the concept and understand how strategies for using bioinputs in controlled environments could be applied to open environments.
I confess that at first I was quite skeptical about bioinputs, perhaps because I came from the robust chemical industry and had internalized that they were the only solutions available for problems in the field. However, when I understood the concepts and realized that the best scenario is to have different types of management strategies, my perception changed definitively.
Emilhano Lima – The international experience broadened my view on the role of biologicals in integrated management, showing that, regardless of the country, farmers are looking for new tools to manage pests and diseases, mitigate abiotic stresses, and adopt more sustainable and profitable practices. At the same time, this experience reinforced how much Brazil has advanced in this area, with excellent field practices, technological innovation, and the integration of biologicals into management strategies.
AgriBrasilis – What is Brazil’s role in this sector?
Maiara Jacobucci – Brazil is a major catalyst for global agriculture. Based on the profile of farmers and professionals, I see a high speed when it comes to introducing innovations. Products are used when there is a problem to be solved or a situation to be controlled in the medium/long term. In Brazil, because it is a huge country with different climates, soils, pathogens, among other variables, we have countless situations in which the use of inputs is necessary. For bioinputs, this could not be any different.
Emilhano Lima – When we talk about biologicals, Brazil is not only a country that uses them, but is also a leader in the innovation and development of these solutions. It is also important to note that, when we talk about large-scale biological nitrogen fixation, it was Embrapa’s research that laid the fundamental groundwork for inoculants. This pioneering spirit gives us a great advantage in continuing to advance with more sophisticated biologicals.
Brazil has seen rapid growth in the adoption of biologicals: in the 2024/2025 harvest, the use of these products grew by 13% compared to the previous harvest, according to CropLife Brazil. We are also well above the global average: the use of biologicals in Brazil is about four times higher than the average. For Syngenta, all this means that Brazil is one of the regions where we focus our efforts on research and development of adapted formulations, partnerships with local research centers, and launches designed with the farmer’s needs in mind.
AgriBrasilis – How does Brazil differ from other major markets?
Maiara Jacobucci – Brazil has an agricultural tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation, but with young farmers who are open to innovation. This requires two things from companies: brand credibility and agility in innovation. When bioinputs meet these two criteria, adoption is much faster. Another factor is that use in Brazil is generally spontaneous (not imposed by regulations), which makes the process more genuine and technical.
Emilhano Lima – Brazil stands out for three key factors: scale, diversity, and speed of adoption. We have a continental territory, with around 156 million hectares that could potentially be treated with biologicals, in different climates and soils. This characteristic requires more robust and adaptable solutions than in markets such as the US and Europe. In addition, pressure for productivity and sustainability means that Brazilian farmers are quick to adopt technologies, which helps explain the average growth of 22% per year in the use of biologicals over the last three years.
Brazil’s scale and diversity allow us to test solutions under conditions that few countries have. This makes the country a true engine of agricultural innovation, and Syngenta acts as a catalyst for this transformation, connecting global science to local realities.
For us, this means that Brazil is not only a market, but also a global validation field: we launch and adapt technologies here that can then be scaled up in other countries.
“A common misconception is to see biologicals as simple substitutes for chemicals…”
AgriBrasilis – What makes a product or project successful in the field?
Maiara Jacobucci – The secret is truth and a genuine desire to contribute to the farmers. This takes time: the time that agriculture requires to generate credibility and real results. The best marketing is still positive feedback from those who use the product and see its benefits in their daily lives.
Emilhano Lima – Success in the field requires evidence of consistent effectiveness in different environments and management regimes; operational compatibility (i.e., applicability to the actual flows of the farmers and industry, storage, logistics); and economic value, with return per hectare, reduction of inputs or risks. In biologicals, this implies investment in local demonstrations and partnerships with cooperatives, distributors, seed companies, and integrators, as farmers confidence comes from repeatable results. That is why at Syngenta we test several technologies every year, prioritizing those that deliver robustness and ease of integration into existing management practices.
Farmer confidence is built when they see consistent results, harvest after harvest. That’s why our focus goes beyond the product: it involves partnerships, field data, and technical support that sustain performance over time.
AgriBrasilis – What does the market still not understand about biologicals?
Maiara Jacobucci – There is a lot of noise and little internalization of the concepts. Working with biologicals requires study, updating, and humility to recognize that there are still unanswered questions. We need professionals who seek technical knowledge and understand the field as a living and variable system.
Emilhano Lima – A common misconception is to see biologicals as simple substitutes for chemicals. In reality, they are part of an integrated management system, which, when well structured, increases sustainability, helps manage resistance, and prolongs the effectiveness of conventional solutions. At Syngenta, we look at chemicals and biologicals as integrated solutions, fundamental to sustainable agricultural management. Another little-understood point is that biologicals require technical rigor: stable formulations, appropriate application protocols, correct storage, and compatibility with other inputs.
Furthermore, there is no such thing as “a single type of biological”: there is enormous variability in modes of action, efficacy, and consistency. This is precisely why farmer confidence depends on robust and replicable data. At Syngenta, we are committed to investing in science, at an industrial scale, and in strategic partnerships to ensure reliable biologicals that are ready for large-scale adoption.
AgriBrasilis – What decision marked your career path?
Maiara Jacobucci – Several small decisions shaped my career path, from time management to choosing to leave a good position at a multinational company to study in different countries. The most important thing is to be clear about your goal and have the courage to pursue it.
Emilhano Lima – The decision to leave a small town (Dourados, MS), where I worked with my father on a farm, to join Syngenta. Even though he knew it would be a big challenge, my father encouraged me to follow this path and explore new perspectives. I will never know if it was the “right” decision, but I am happy that I had the courage to explore new paths, and I realize that this choice allowed me to understand agriculture from a broader perspective and contribute more significantly to the development of the sector, applying knowledge and innovation for the benefit of farmers and for a more sustainable future.
READ MORE: