IICA honors the memory and highlights the legacy of Alysson Paolinelli, former minister and mastermind of Brazil’s dynamic agriculture sector

San Jose, 30 June 2023 (IICA) –Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, declared a day of institutional mourning to mark the passing of former Minister of Agriculture of Brazil, Alysson Paolinelli – 2006 World Food Prize winner and Goodwill Ambassador of the specialized hemispheric agency for agricultural and rural development. 
 
At IICA Headquarters in San Jose and at its Delegation in Brazil, the flags of the Institute and Brazil will be flown at half mast, in memory of Paolinelli and as a way to mark his legacy as a visionary who is considered to be the father of the world’s most efficient tropical agriculture model.
 
Manuel Otero, who recalled his friendship with Paolinelli, remarked that, “On this sad day, we recognize the great Brazilian Alysson Paolinelli, who we honored with the title of IICA Goodwill Ambassador during his lifetime, as a humble tribute to someone who made an immense contribution to agricultural development in the Americas and to the fight against food insecurity”.
 
He reflected that, “In addition to his achievements and his enormous legacy, I would like to emphasize the human side of Alysson. He was a true friend to his friends, someone who honored us with his friendship, always managing to give sound advice. He was an optimist about the potential of Brazilian agriculture and always maintained a hemispheric outlook”.
 
The former Minister of Agriculture of Brazil was the driving force behind the sustainable tropical agriculture model that transformed that great country into a global agrifood powerhouse.
 
Paolinelli, an agricultural engineering graduate of the College of Agriculture of Lavras (ESAL), previously served as the Secretary of Agriculture of Minas Gerais, creating incentives that enabled the state to become Brazil’s largest coffee producer.
 
He received the World Food Prize in 2006.
 
During his tenure as Minister of Agriculture, he masterminded the modernization of the well-respected Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and was a pivotal force in conceiving and boosting the economic development of the Brazilian “Cerrado” biome.
 
Otero conferred the title of IICA Goodwill Ambassador on Paolinelli in February 2019, during an official mission to Brasilia.
 
On accepting the award, Paolinelli had these generous words to say about the hemispheric organization: “I am not the one who should be receiving this award; instead, we should be presenting this award to IICA. The Institute helped me a great deal, by enabling us to send young Brazilian researchers abroad to specialize in their fields. With support from IICA and through various universities, we managed to develop a project that allowed Brazil to introduce the tropical agriculture model we have today, which is the most efficient in the world”.
 
In speaking about agriculture, this critical activity that drives development and is the backbone of the Americas, Otero pointed out that another major legacy of the former minister was to pave the way for “the many ‘Paolinellis’ that exist today, spreading his enthusiasm, as well as his capacity to act and to foster development, through initiatives that prioritize agriculture and make the rural sector attractive to young people”.
 
At the time of preparing this tribute, many current and former Brazilian officials, parliamentarians and prominent figures in the country’s political and institutional sphere had posted condolence messages on social media for the loss of Paolinelli, highlighting his track record of accomplishments and his legacy for agriculture and for the world’s food, nutritional and environmental security.

Video available only in Spanish

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int