The challenges and alternatives for adapting agriculture to extreme climate events

• Grant number: 25/04057-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics - Agrarian and Natural Resource Economics
• Principal Investigator: Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari
• Grantee: Giovanna Aparecida de Sousa
• Host Institution: Escola de Economia e Negócios (EEN). Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-CAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Global warming and the resulting water stress have led to crop failures in Brazil and worldwide. The most commercially successful agricultural inputs in recent decades have proven insufficient to address extreme climate events in agriculture, as the genetically modified organisms currently available on the market exhibit low drought tolerance. Given these climate threats to global food security, this project seeks to map modern inventions that can best contribute to developing cultivars requiring less water to germinate and other technological solutions that enhance crop resilience to water stress. Additionally, it aims to assess the legal framework for Brazil's adoption of these technologies. Methodologically, the research will use patent indicators to identify the most technologically impactful patents for adapting Brazilian agriculture to climate change. The project can potentially expand the science and technology indicators database available to Brazilian organizations working on drought-tolerant seeds. Hence, the study's findings will provide these organizations with valuable insights to support technological prospecting and intellectual property management.