Janaína Adalgiso Padoveze is a food engineer passionate about Sustainability issues. I have been working at Ajinomoto do Brasil for 16 years. Throughout her career, she has worked for around nine years in the Quality Assurance area, five years in the Manufacturing area and for almost two years, I have been managing the company’s Sustainability area.
Thiago Miqueleto is an agronomist and marketing manager at Ajinomoto do Brasil, passionate about Sustainability and supporting farmers. He has worked in the agricultural industry for 14 years, focusing on making agricultural systems more efficient and sustainable. Miqueleto has been committed to helping farmers increase their productivity and improve their practices throughout my career.
Through this article, Janaína Padoveze and Thiago Miqueleto emphasize the urgent need for sustainable agriculture to address climate change and food security. They highlight that food systems are responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, calling for a shift toward nature-based solutions that protect and regenerate ecosystems.
Only at the 28th Conference of the PaSrties (COP28) in Dubai in 2023 was the spotlight placed on the relationship between food systems and the climate change agenda. Food and land are accountable for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
A conceptual shift in how we do business is urgent. We need to transition to a sustainable economy by bringing nature-based solutions. We must conserve, protect, and restore our ecosystem.
Sustainable agriculture is not just a conceptual thought; it is the future perspective for food production. As demands on our natural resources increase and the impact of climate change affects all crops, farmers are pressured to use methods that boost productivity while reducing their environmental impact. We need to produce more food but use fewer resources and ensure that agriculture-based ecosystems are regenerated.
Sustainable agriculture is based on soil, water, biodiversity and human action, recognizing that agricultural lands are finite and must be conserved for posterity. It is necessary to shift from conventional farming approaches aimed solely at profit to a mindset that ensures the land is well cared for, promotes biodiversity and ensures that agricultural systems contribute positively to the environment.
Sustainable agriculture is not just a conceptual thought; it is the future perspective for food production.
Some practices in sustainable agriculture include crop rotation, no-tillage farming, and precision agriculture, which help maintain healthy soils, reduce erosion, and improve water conservation. Other practices that enhance ecosystem health—such as agroforestry and the use of cover crops to improve and protect biodiversity—enable better natural pest control, better nutrient utilization and improved soil physical and chemical properties. Using amino acids in agriculture is another innovative idea, as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases resource use efficiency, and helps plants withstand abiotic stress. These molecules enhance crops' natural resistance, support plant growth, increase production quality and improve nutrient absorption, resulting in higher yields with efficient use of natural resources. Incorporating amino acid-based solutions allows for greater water efficiency and optimization of fertilizer use. All these alternatives also help reduce the use of chemical inputs.
Ajinomoto is a global leader in amino acid production, and we aim to contribute to the well-being of society, people and the planet through a sustainable food system. To achieve this, we work with products developed from our circular sustainable production process (bicycle), which has a lower environmental impact and contributes to people’s health.
We produce amino acids through a fermentation system using sugar and its derivatives as a base. This process not only yields our final product but also a co-product that can be used as fertilizers. Sugarcane and its derivatives are used as raw materials in the fermentation process, with the desired amino acid as the main product. In addition to the final product, this process also produces an aqueous solution rich in amino acids, which is transformed into fertilizers (co-products). The fertilizer, in turn, returns to the production chain in crops, including sugarcane plantations. Thus, we describe our process as circular, known as Biocycle, because our main raw material is sugarcane and its derivatives, and we return nutrients to ensure that this raw material can be produced. It is an established fact that we need to make sustainable agriculture the only way to farm. But how?
The private sector has the knowledge to increase the efficiency of its processes, and this sector needs to commit to the climate agenda and understand that food systems significantly impact this agenda. This includes having well-defined targets and clear, transparent, periodic reporting of their actions.
The public sector must review and reorient policies and government support for practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage food systems to work towards this agenda through financing mechanisms.
Another topic to be included in this journey is innovation, which needs to be a cross-cutting theme related to sustainability and is closely linked to the agriculture of the future. Today, technological advances such as smart irrigation systems and satellite monitoring are giving farmers the ability to be better informed and optimize their use of natural resources.
Agricultural companies have already understood and started making moves to increase farmers' efficiency through sustainable practices. An example is the use of amino acids in agriculture, as previously discussed. Ajinomoto is a global leader in amino acid production, and we want to contribute to the well-being of society, people and the planet with a sustainable food system. To achieve this, we work with products developed from our circular sustainable production process (bicycle), which has a lower environmental impact and contributes to people’s health.
We produce amino acids through a fermentation system using sugar and its derivatives as a base. This process not only results in our final product but also a co-product that can be used as fertilizers. Thus, we have a circular process known as Bicycle, where our main raw material is sugarcane and its derivatives, and we return nutrients to ensure this raw material can be produced. Ajinomoto is a pioneer in the use of amino acids in agriculture and is committed to helping farmers produce more, better and sustainably, reducing environmental impacts.
By adopting increasingly sustainable practices, we will reduce our negative impacts by 2030. By 2050, we will expand our agenda to generate positive impacts, contribute to well-being, and act as change agents, fostering a regenerative cycle within our market.
