The climate crisis is causing an
increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts affecting crops.
Agriculture is one of the sectors most damaged by extreme heat waves and
climate change caused by massive fuel burning. Climate change is adding to the inflationary
pressures on foods such as wheat, corn and beans, so much so that, according to
estimates by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the price of some of
these crops could increase by more than 40% by 2050.
The granddaughter of farmers, the
young Argentine María Paz Álvarez, a graduate in International Relations from
the University of Congreso, has decided to apply new technologies to prepare
crops for the climate chaos we are already experiencing. From Zavia Bio, her
agrobiotechnology start-up that develops biological inputs to solve crop
problems and increase their tolerance to drought. For this breakthrough,
Alvarez has been chosen by MIT Technology Review in Spanish as one of the
winners of Innovators under 35 Latin America 2023.
Her first product is Z-Active, a
liquid that is based on natural molecules from the plants themselves enhanced
with biotechnology that is applied to the leaves of plants that favor adaptation to conditions of lack of water. "We reduce crop losses in a
context of drought; it is a tool to increase production and farmers' income in
conditions of climate crisis," explains this young innovator. This
substance is a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals that are harmful to the
environment. "Thanks to science and technology, we are making two
activities that have always been at odds with each other go hand in hand:
agri-food production and care for the environment," she explains.
Other avenues under research at
Zavia Bio are bioherbicides that tackle weed resistance with biodegradable
substances. They are also developing proteins that improve crop conservation
and enhance the plant's defense system against pathogens.
All this is in line with measures
to adapt and reduce vulnerability to climate change prescribed by international
institutions such as the IDB: "In addition to mitigating climate change,
agriculture must adapt to reduce vulnerability to this threat with less
susceptible varieties, better water use, and new technologies that increase
productivity while reducing vulnerability and greenhouse gas emissions."
From Argentina, Alvarez hopes to
help the great granaries of the world, such as Brazil and the United States, with
new sustainable products that address the problems of agriculture. The
co-creator of Zavia Bio wants her products to be a solution for food producers
around the world.
