Cadmium bioremediation as an innovative alternative

Published at: 07 May 2020

Within the framework of the project Multi-agency cocoa platform for Latin America and the Caribbean “Cocoa 2030-2050”, a webinar was held to share on soil bioremediation.

Within of the Multi-agency cocoa platform 2030-2050 project, a webinar was held entitled: “Geomicrobiology techniques for Cd bioremediation using CdtB (Cadmium-tolerant Bacteria)”, on April 30, 2020. This conference was taught by Daniel Bravo PhD from AGROSAVIA, who coordinates the research component of the project. This activity is the first in a cycle of webinars being developed by the Cocoa Project 2030-2050.

The first part was in charge of the Project Director, Eduardo Chávez PhD from ESPOL, Ecuador, who comments on the components addressed by the project: i) Component 1. Improvement of cocoa productivity with emphasis on Cd management. Its objective is to study productive factors that affect the accumulation of Cd in cocoa beans. ii) Component 2. Quality and Safety. Aiming to establish and standardize Cd measurement methodologies to generate maps and mitigation technologies. iii) Component 3. Regulations and Governance. Its purpose is to collect socio-economic and impact information on international regulations and propose governance policies to strengthen the cocoa chain. iv) Component 4. Knowledge Management, whose objective is to disseminate and transfer the knowledge and technological alternatives generated by the project through comprehensive training plans. The participating countries are: Ecuador (ESPOL and INIAP), Colombia (AGROSAVIA) and Costa Rica (INTA) and it has financing from FONTAGRO.

The second part of the webinar was given by Daniel Bravo PhD from Agrosavia, Colombia. The webinar showed concepts about what is bioremediation, the microorganisms that serve in a bioremediation process and how to include this strategy in the remediation treatments of soils contaminated with cadmium. In addition, experiences were presented that are being developed in Agrosavia in Colombia and within the framework of this Multi-agency cocoa platform 2030-2050 project as a space to coordinate research activities in an organized way for the management of cadmium in cocoa cultivation.

125 people from different countries participated in the event: Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, coming from public and private companies, from sectors such as academia, exporters and producers of cocoa. See the entire conference:

Sponsors
BID
IICA
With the support of
Fondo Coreano de Alianza para el Conocimiento en Tecnología e Innovación (KPK)