A group of 22 University of Minnesota Extension Educators will be departing for Sao Paulo, Brazil on Monday, November 10th and returning on November 19th. The interest in Brazilian agriculture has many facets. Tour participants will see cutting edge agricultural research and view the frontier of global agriculture. As a result of this study tour, participants will be able to discuss Brazilian agriculture technology and its effect on world agriculture; participants will be able to discuss Brazil’s role as a competitor for U.S. agriculture in world markets; participants will gain an understanding about how GMOs and other technologies are impacting Brazilian agriculture; participants will learn how US and MN agriculture can benefit from the research of our Brazilian colleagues.

This study tour is to the Sao Paulo and Parana states in Brazil (Southern Brazil). Currently the itinerary includes visits to University of Sao Paulo (The School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz; visits to IAPAR – the Agronomic Institute of Parana and EMBRAPA Soybean – a research facility of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation; beef, dairy and crop farms, an orange grove (large private farm) and a sugar cooperative; a tour of Marchesan Equipment company (Brazilian owned manufacturing) and possible tour of AGCO/Valtra manufacturing plant. In addition to the visits, the group will be meeting with researchers and staffs from several Universities and schools of agriculture, as well as, Brazilian government agencies.

Partial funding for this study tour was made possible through professional development scholarship funds from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents and University of Minnesota Extension. Both organizations are dedicated to their members/employees through a commitment to professional development and exploring global agriculture.