Evolving Structure of Eucalyptus Breeding and Biotechnology Research in Brazil

INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON APPLIED BIOECONOMY RESEARCH – ICABR.

RAVELLO – JUNE 17 th, 2015

Jaim J. da Silva Jr.Campinas State University

Agriculture Economy and Environment Nucleus (NEA)

Brazil´s land use

Agriculture

Native Forests

GM Soybean Cultivated Area 25 million hectares

Amazon Biome 40% of the National Territory

Planted Forests : Brazil 2013 •Total Area - 7,600,974 Hectares

•Eucalyptus – 5,473,176 Hectares

•Pine – 1,570,146 Hectares

•Rubber tree, Acacia, Teak, Paricá, Araucaria, Populus and other – 557,652 Hectares

Source: Ibá (2014)

Forest Transition

Percentage share of the forestry production in Brazil 1995-2013.

• Brazil have over 50% of the territory covered by native forests.

• Plenty of agriculturable land available. States of Mato Grosso, Pará, Bahia and Minas Gerais have over 1 million hectares of degraded pasture each (IBGE, 2006).

• Places experience forest transitions when declines in forest cover cease and recoveries in forest cover begin (Kudel et al., 2005).

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

0102030405060708090

100

Native Forests Planted Forests Deforestation Amazon Forest

%

Source: IBGE

Milestones of Eucalyptus Breeding and Biotech• 1900s – First comercial plantation led by Paulista Railroads Company.

• 1960s to 1970s - Sharp increase in cultivated area, Law No. 5,106, by which the Federal Government stipulates tax incentives for afforestation.

• 1980s to 2000s - Eucalyptus Urograndis. Vegetative propagation led by Aracruz Company. Nowadays, about 3,000,000 hectares of Eucalyptus forests was formed by cloning technics.

• 2000s to 2010s – Genomics, transgenics, bioreactors, seedlings biofactories.

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 201005

1015202530354045

Brazil´s Average Eucalyptus Productivity Evolutionm³/ha.ano

Source: Ibá (2014)

• Dynamics of Agricultural research organization - Fuglie and Toole (2014)

Large role of private sector New institutional models for public private research collaborationStagnant public agricultural research investment

Financer (2012) Breeding/Biotech R&D Investments

Executors

Federal Government US$ 32.5 million Embrapa, Universities

State Research Foundations *(FAPESP 1996-2006)

US$ 15 million Universities, Firms

Private Firms - Ibá US$ 15 million Industry, Universities

Private Firms – Forest Biotech Multinationals

US$ 4.6 million Industry, Universities

Greater internationalization

Evolving structure of Eucalyptus Breeding and Biotech R&D in Brazil

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

10

20

30

40

50

60

70Eucalyptus by Organization Type

Private National Private Multinational Public Agricultural Research Organizations

Num

ber o

f Cul

tivar

s in

the

RNC

Registry of Eucalyptus Cultivars in Brazil

Source: National Regitry of Cultivars (RNC)

Forest Biotechnology – GM Eucalyptus field trials in Brazil

Reduction in content and changes of lignin composition Resistance to pests and diseases Herbicide tolerance Increased Biomass Production

Field Trial goals

19971998

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7Eucalyptus Field Trials

LPMAs

Source: CTNBio

• Five enterprises registered GM Eucalyptus field trials in the country. A total of 24 field trials, since 1999.

New Institutional Models: Public Private Research Partnership

Public Agricultural Research Institute

Private Company

Public University

I.P. Boundary

$

T Technology Transfer

Financial Resources

$

T, $

Research Grant

IPEF, SIF

T, $

Genolyptus, Lignodeco, ForESTs

T, $

T, $

T, $ T, $

T, $

T, $

Source: Day-Rubenstein and Fuglie (2000)

Research Consortium ForESTs

Genolyptus Project LignoDeco

Period 2001/2002 2002/2004 2010/2013

Goals Forestry Genomics

Forestry Genomics (Eucalyptus)

Optimized biomass deconstruction

Executers Firms (4) Firms (14) Firms (2) Universities (4) Universities (7) Universities (5)

EMBRAPA (3 Units)

Budget US$ 4 Million US$ 7 Million

US$ 3 Million

Main Results

110 Mil ESTs

Field tests with GM Eucalyptus Pilot Scale Plant

New Institutional Models: Research Consortium

Source: Research Data

Greater Internationalization : FuturaGene and ArborGen• FuturaGene was acquired by the Brazilian firm Suzano in 2010. Structure of the company

in Brazil is made of 32 employees, 21 full time researches devoted exclusively to biotechnology.

• Own gene inserted in the GM Eucalyptus approved in Brazil. Expectation of commercial realese in 2020.

• ArborGen's structure in Brazil is concentrated at the São Paulo State.• Agreement with International Paper grants ArborGen the exclusive right to produce and sell

International Papers´ Eucalyptus seedlings in Brazil.

Forest Sciences Education and Training

MG SP PR MT RS GO SC ES PA BA MS MA0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Graduate Professors 1,000 Hectare per Graduate Professors (Right Axis)

Num

ber o

f Gra

duat

e Pr

ofes

sors

in 2

012

1,0

00 H

ecta

re p

er G

radu

ate

Prof

esso

r in

2012

Source: SNIF

• 186 research groups in Forest Resources and Forest Engineering (CNPq, 2010).

• 116 breeders specialized in Forest Resources (CGEE, 2008).

• 26 Gradute courses in Forest Resources and Forest Engineering (SNIF, 2012).

Thank you!jaim@eco.unicamp.br