Ethanol, Protein, and Fertile Soil: The Strategic Role of Corn Seed in Brazilian Agriculture

Published Jun 12, 2025

Tridge summary

Before being a strategic commodity or a gear in the production of energy, protein, and food, corn is one of the oldest crops in human history. Originally cultivated by indigenous peoples in the Americas thousands of years ago, the cereal has traversed generations until consolidating itself as one of the pillars of modern agribusiness. In Brazil, this trajectory was even more surprising: from the base of family agriculture to the most advanced technologies in biotechnology, corn has transformed itself into an asset of food, energy, and economic security.

Original content

Before being a strategic commodity or a gear in energy, protein, and food production, corn is one of humanity's oldest crops. Originally cultivated by indigenous peoples in the Americas thousands of years ago, the cereal has traversed generations to consolidate itself as one of the pillars of modern agribusiness. In Brazil, this trajectory was even more surprising: from the basis of family agriculture to the most advanced biotechnology technologies, corn has transformed into an asset of food, energy, and economic security. Who knows this evolution is André Figueiredo, Executive Manager of Product Development at GDM – Supra Sementes brand. "Corn is, without a doubt, an economic heritage of our nation. Today, around 69% of agricultural properties cultivate corn. There are more than 3.5 million properties that have this crop as a strategic base," he states. From subsistence to innovation: the productivity leap 25 years ago, the average corn productivity in Brazil was just 3.5 tons ...

Source: Agrolink