CEO Agenor Mafra-Neto Interviewed About ISCA Innovations in One of Brazil’s Leading Newspapers

An interview with ISCA President and CEO Agenor Mafra-Neto was recently published in Estadão, a daily newspaper based in São Paulo that is the fourth-largest newspaper in Brazil. The newspaper reported that ISCA was chosen to participate in the Barclays’ Unreasonable Impact Americas 2020 program. The British bank recognized ISCA and 12 other enterprises for their ability to grow quickly as businesses and to bring needed sustainable solutions to the planet. Mafra-Neto explained that ISCA’s goal is to increase food security and help the planet to rely less on the unsustainable legacy of toxic insecticides.

Here are some excerpts of the interview:

What is the importance of being selected for the Unreasonable Impact Americas 2020 program?

The program selected sustainable and inspiring companies to receive new investments. It positions us as a company at the forefront of innovation, capable of generating many new jobs quickly. Our business is to improve the quality of food in the world and make it free from insecticide residues. We seek investments to grow quickly.

What is the new generation of environmentally sustainable pesticides?

Our products are based on semiochemicals, natural chemicals that control the behavior of insects in agriculture, causing a disruption in their reproduction and preventing them from devastating crops. Natural products reduce the impact that pest control has on the environment.

Are these products commercialized on a large scale?

Yes. The news is that in 2021 we will be launching new products to control key pests in soybean, corn, and cotton. We developed new technologies for the mass production of semiochemicals, using traditional synthetic chemistry, as well as innovative biochemical techniques. These reduced tremendously the cost of semiochemical solutions, making them economically compatible with the cost of traditional insecticides.

Are all the other pest control products commercialized by the company also sustainable?

Yes, but there are farmers who use our products in association with conventional insecticides, resulting in a huge gain for the environment, as it is possible to decrease by 98% the amount of insecticide used to control insects per area. In an area of 100 hectares, instead of the producer using 100 liters of insecticide and 20 thousand liters of water, our products use only one liter of insecticide and do not need to use water.