Mariangela Hungria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mariangela Hungria | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 6, 1958 Itapetininga, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Alma mater | University of São Paulo (ESALQ); Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro |
| Known for | Biological nitrogen fixation, microbial inoculants, sustainable agriculture |
| Awards | World Food Prize (2025); National Order of Scientific Merit (Grand Cross) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Agronomy, Microbiology |
| Institutions | Embrapa |
Mariangela Hungria da Cunha (born 6 February 1958) is a Brazilian agronomist and microbiologist noted for pioneering work on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and the use of beneficial soil bacteria as microbial inoculants for tropical crops. Since 1982 she has been a researcher with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), helping farmers replace chemical fertilizers with beneficial soil bacteria.[1] In 2025 she became the first Brazilian woman to receive the World Food Prize, for “extraordinary scientific advancements in biological nitrogen fixation” that transformed tropical agriculture.[2][3] She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.[4]
Dr. Hungria was born in Itapetininga, São Paulo.[4] Her interest in microbiology began after reading Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif, a gift from her grandmother.[2] She earned a BSc in agronomy (1979) and an MSc in soils and plant nutrition (1981) from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ) at the University of São Paulo, and a PhD in soil science from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (1985).[1]
