EN 
PT_BR 
The launch of the Low Carbon Corn (LCC) and Low Carbon Sorghum (LCSg) programs by Embrapa represents a milestone in strengthening sustainable agricultural production in Brazil. These initiatives offer concrete alternatives to the impacts of climate change and expand opportunities for Brazilian corn and sorghum to be competitive in increasingly demanding markets in terms of sustainability.
The objective is to develop and validate certification protocols for the conceptual brands of Low Carbon Corn and Low Carbon Sorghum, based on scientific evidence and in accordance with international standards. The projects cover parameters that differentiate and can add value to corn and sorghum produced using sustainable practices and technologies.
The work will be essentially based on technical and scientific criteria to measure the intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per ton of grain. produced “The calculation will be possible through the validation of technical guidelines for the certification protocol. After the protocol is validated by Embrapa and its partners, certification can proceed. These certification steps will be voluntary, private, and carried out by third parties, following the MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) system,” says Arystides Resende Silva, researcher. Corn and Sorghum from Embrapa.
"Public announcements regarding the Low Carbon Corn and Low Carbon Sorghum programs encourage the adoption of more resilient production systems and promote the transition to a sustainable economy," adds the researcher. Alexandre Ferreira da Silva .
“We know that we face a major global challenge, which is climate change. In this scenario, Embrapa understands that the decarbonization of agricultural and livestock production is one of the greatest challenges for Brazilian agriculture,” says Ferreira.
Aware of this need, Embrapa has been leading the development of solutions such as the creation of the Low Carbon Beef (CB) concept brands.) Low Carbon SoybeansSBC) and Low Carbon Wheat (TBCOther advancements include the creation of tools and calculators to estimate the carbon footprint through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of agricultural products in production systems. The teams responsible for these initiatives are involved in the development of the Low Carbon Corn (LCM) and Low Carbon Sorghum (LCS) brands, ensuring agility, standardization, and assertiveness in their actions. In addition to Embrapa Corn and Sorghum, there are researchers from... Embrapa Environment and from Embrapa Soybean.
Development, validation, and implementation of certification seals.
The actions will be divided into two phases. In phase 1, development and innovation, the objective is to develop Low Carbon Corn and Low Carbon Sorghum protocols and register them with the competent authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Map).
To that end, guidelines will be developed. "The goal is to identify which types of corn and sorghum offer the highest production efficiency per unit of carbon." issued "This distinction will serve as an incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and does not imply a loss of agricultural productivity," says Resende.
The guidelines will be validated during their three-year production cycle in observation units, in locations to be indicated by the supporting institutions. "Each area will generate information on inputs and mechanized operations, as well as on the carbon balance in the soil, in order to calculate greenhouse gas emissions for the entire production process," reports the researcher. Ciro Augusto de Souza Magalhães .
In the second phase, the certification seal will be implemented in the market through accredited certification bodies, according to a commercial exploitation model to be defined by Embrapa.
