PULQUE AGAVE DEVELOPMENT FOR TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID

• Grant number: 24/02977-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães Pereira
• Grantee: Ana Paola Lopez Tarqui
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The agaves, present in human life for at least 9,000 years, have established an intimate relationship known as the Agave-Human symbiosis, generating over 100 ways of utilizing various parts of the plant, including a significant contribution to the production of beverages such as aguamiel and pulque. Aguamiel is the sap of the Agave, while pulque is the beverage resulting from the fermentation of aguamiel. These beverages, in addition to possessing nutritional characteristics, bioactive compounds, and medicinal properties, stand out for their potential. The history of agaves in Brazil began with the establishment of the sisal fiber industry, which not only proved successful, placing Brazil among the world's largest producers of hard sisal fibers but also played a significant role in the subsistence and improvement of the quality of life of the population in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Currently, the potential of agaves is being explored more intensely due to their physiological, morphological, and molecular characteristics, making them cultivable in semi-arid regions. With a 7.6% increase in Food Insecurity between 2020 and 2021/2022, coupled with the potential impact of climate change, it becomes essential to seek initiatives that contribute to food security. Agaves emerge as fundamental elements in this context, utilizing them for the production of aguamiel and pulque, beverages little known in Brazil but which have been sources of nutrients and health in Mesoamerican civilizations for years. In this scenario, it is crucial to produce and disseminate scientific knowledge adapted to the Brazilian context, overcoming the barrier of the predominant language (English or Spanish). Therefore, the development of materials in Portuguese about the acquisition and production of these beverages, accessible to the population, becomes fundamental to promote food security in the Brazilian semi-arid region.