Say goodbye to synthetic fertilizers. Dr. Mariangela Hungria, a renowned Brazilian soil microbiologist at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), has been awarded the 2025 World Food Prize—often called the "Nobel Prize for Food"—for her groundbreaking advancements in biological nitrogen fixation. Over more than four decades, Hungria developed over 30 microbial technologies, including inoculants and co-inoculants that enable crops (especially soybeans) to harness symbiotic soil bacteria. These bacteria naturally convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable forms, dramatically reducing or eliminating the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Her innovations have transformed tropical agriculture, boosting yields sustainably while cutting costs and environmental harm. In Brazil alone, these biological solutions are applied across more than 40 million hectares of farmland (primarily soybeans), saving farmers an estimated US$25–40 billion annually in fertilizer expenses. The environmental benefits are equally profound: by replacing chemical fertilizers, her methods prevent the release of over 180–260 million metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions each year (figures vary slightly by source and year, with recent estimates around 230–260 million tons for recent seasons). Hungria's work has helped position Brazil as a global agricultural powerhouse, turning it into a leading soybean producer with high productivity and lower ecological footprint. Her low-cost, eco-friendly approach offers a scalable model for enhancing food security worldwide, proving that powerful solutions for sustainable farming often lie in the soil's own microbial communities. [World Food Prize Foundation. Dr. Mariangela Hungria Named 2025 World Food Prize Laureate for Revolutionary Work in Soil Microbiology]