Embrapa launches low-carbon corn and sorghum certification programs

Embrapa on March 11 launched two low-carbon certification programs for corn and sorghum that will measure greenhouse-gas emissions intensity per ton of grain. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation said the schemes are meant to keep Brazilian corn and sorghum competitive in markets with tighter sustainability rules while keeping certification voluntary, private and third-party verified under an MRV system.

The programs were unveiled during Embrapa Maize and Sorghum’s 50th anniversary celebration in Minas Gerais. Embrapa said the work will move in two phases: first, the definition of technical guidelines and validation of the protocols, then implementation of a certification seal for the products. The company also said a public call to select supporting institutions is planned for August 2026.

Researchers Arystides Resende Silva and Alexandre Ferreira da Silva said the effort is intended to validate certification protocols and push more resilient production systems as Brazil moves toward a sustainable economy. The new corn and sorghum initiatives extend a low-carbon portfolio that already includes soy, wheat and beef, and they sit alongside Embrapa practices that promote no-till farming, integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems, bio-inputs and pasture recovery.

That broader framework matters for Brazil’s next wave of biofuels and industrial feedstocks. Embrapa and Petrobras signed a low-carbon research partnership on Sept. 6, 2024, covering biofuels, green chemicals, fertilizers and protocols for low-carbon crops. The partnership specifically names safrinha corn, macaúba, carinata, intercropping and cover crops, tying the grain programs to a wider feedstock strategy for the bioeconomy. For corn and sorghum growers, the policy test is whether Brazil can lower crop carbon intensity per ton without giving up the second-crop systems and scale that already underpin supply.