Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios
The Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, linked to Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento, came about in 2001, in order to coordinate all agriculture and cattle raising research in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Its main objective is to generate and transfer scientific and technological knowledge in agribusiness, thereby harmonizing the socio-economic development with environmental balance. The main innovation in this reorganization was the creation of 15 regional poles of development, spread throughout the state.
APTA has guided itself by the prospects of technological demands, and does it regionally, as an instrument to guide the research of the entire agency.
In addition to the poles, APTA’s structure encompasses the six research bodies of the Secretaria da Agricultura and Abastecimento – the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, the Instituto Biológico, the Instituto de Economia Agrícola, the Instituto de Zootecnica, the Instituto de Pesca and the Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos. The agency centers its activities on four strategic programs: bioenergy, environmental sustainability, organization of the rural and outlying areas, and food safety.
As the second largest agribusiness technological research institution in Brazil and the Southern Hemisphere, APTA features 64 experimental units and 43 research laboratories.
