For decades, Brazilian scientist Mariangela Hungria dug through dirt in search of bacteria that could help crops thrive. It was a quest few believed in early in her career, but her discoveries are changing the way Brazil farms and feeds the world. The microbiologist has been awarded this year's World Food Prize for her decades-long work identifying soil bacteria that enhance crop growth, NPR reports. The annual prize, established in 1987 and known as the agriculture equivalent of a Nobel, recognizes significant achievements in agriculture and nutrition and comes with a $500,000 award.
Hungria, 67, has devoted her career to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), which is credited with transforming Brazil into a global agricultural powerhouse. Brazil, once a net importer of food, is now the world's top soybean exporter. Hungria's research focused on isolating strains of bacteria like rhizobia that help soybean plants access nitrogen, and Azospirillum, which boosts root growth in crops such as corn and wheat. These discoveries have been instructive for farmers in Brazil, where the seeds of most crucial crops get a microorganism coating prior to going into the ground. Farmers are able to reduce their use of chemical fertilizers as a result. "She's a phenomenal scientist. A role model for many people, including myself," soil scientist Leo Bortolon says.
Hungria pursued microbiology after reading about it as a child, inspired by a "magical" grandmother who introduced her to the wonders of soil and plants. She plans to use her prize money to establish an award recognizing women's contributions in the field. "I always believed that it is possible to achieve high yields necessary to mitigate world hunger, but in a sustainable way, preserving the planet," she said in a statement after the award was announced Tuesday at the World Food Prize Foundation's headquarters in Iowa, the Des Moines Register reports. She will accept the prize in a ceremony at the state Capitol in October. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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