Mauricio Lopes

Member, CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board

Mauricio Lopes (Brazil) is a Senior Researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Brazil.

He joined the Board in December 2024.

Lopes is a leading expert in agricultural research and innovation. With extensive expertise in the integration of science, policy, and international cooperation, Lopes has significantly contributed to advancing tropical agriculture. His current work focuses on developing sustainability metrics, assessing the impact of agricultural technologies, and future studies to enhance the integration of agriculture into the bioeconomy. He also serves as an advisor to multiple public and private organizations, contributing to the formulation of policies and strategies that support sustainable food systems, agriculture, and energy transitions. Lopes previously served as President of Embrapa from 2012 to 2018, leading it through a period of transformative growth. During his tenure, he introduced innovative management frameworks, strengthened public-private partnerships, and launched a strategic intelligence platform to align Embrapa’s research priorities with global sustainability goals.

Lopes has extensive international experience, having led Embrapa’s cooperation initiative in Asia, promoting collaborative research and partnerships. He also chaired the Task Force responsible for defining the 2021-2030 Strategic Plan for the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria. His global influence extends to serving on advisory boards of key organizations, including the Agropolis Foundation, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy.

Lopes holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Arizona and an MSc in Genetics from Purdue University, where he was honored with a Doctor of Agriculture Honoris Causa. His leadership has been pivotal in advancing sustainable agricultural practices and fostering innovative, multifunctional production models globally.