The Dow Chemical Company, announced earlier this month that Dow AgroSciences Brazil is working with Brazilian farmers from the state of Mato Grosso to implement more sustainable agricultural practices that will generate climate benefits for the mitigation of Rio 2016’s direct carbon footprint.

The Sustainable Agriculture project is a key element of Dow’s innovative “Sustainable Future” program being implemented across Brazil and Latin America, which utilizes energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon solutions to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Through the Sustainable Agriculture project, Dow, in collaboration with FarmersEdge and Irriger, a Brazilian group specialized in irrigation management, will provide variable rate technology and expertise to farmers in Mato Grosso, one of Brazil’s main ‘breadbaskets’.

The project is designed to minimize environmental impact and optimize productivity in corn and soybean crops through higher yields, better varieties and more targeted pest control management. Implementation of the precision and variable rate technologies along with seeds and crop protection solutions from Dow is expected to result in lower rates of synthetic fertilizer application, leading to a reduction in emissions of nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas (GHG) and is produced as fertilizer decomposes. The reduced GHG emissions from this project will be applied towards Dow’s commitment to mitigate 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) for the Rio 2016 Games.

“The objective is to help farmers produce more with less, and increase yield through advanced and more sustainable agricultural practices – all while contributing to one of Rio 2016’s most important sustainability goals,” said Welles Pascoal, president of Dow AgroSciences Brazil. “This project is fully aligned with Dow AgroSciences’ mission to put science at work to address the needs of an ever-growing world through innovative technologies for crop protection, seeds and biotechnology.”

Farmers participating in the project have access to services and technologies such as satellite imagery, precision harvest and profit maps, intensive soil sampling and laboratory analysis, weather monitoring, and detailed review of cropping plans and goals with variable rate technology experts. Seeds and crop protection solutions from Dow are also available to help optimize production and increase yields.