When Brazil-born Fernanda Lopes Larsen joined Norwegian fertiliser company Yara in 2012, the culture shock was profound. But the civil engineering graduate, who had already worked across Europe, turned early struggles into leadership strengths. Now based in Singapore as Executive Vice President for Africa, Asia and Oceania, she champions sustainability and diversity with equal passion.

Rethinking the system

“If I’m still at Yara, it’s because of its strong mission,” she says. “We’re here to feed the world and protect the planet.”

The company has a strong commitment to decarbonizing fertiliser production and supporting an agricultural transition to being carbon-neutral and nature positive. Fertilisers are essential if we are going to feed a growing global population, particularly under the added stress of climate change. But food production is a heavily polluting industry, responsible for an estimated quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

What does an agricultural transition look like? “It’s recognising we have to find a new way to farm,” she says, explaining that Yara’s approach is built on three pillars.

First, as ammonia is the foundational ingredient of most fertilisers, it starts by producing ammonia in a cleaner way — decarbonizing its production by using renewables instead of natural gas. The other two pillars are embracing regenerative agriculture and promoting farmer prosperity. Regenerative agriculture involves practices that enable farmers to increase yield and nutrient efficiency, reduce water consumption, and protect the soil. Prosperity is also key, because making progress on emissions should not have to come at the expense of smallholder farmers.

Lopes Larsen has seen the global conversation on sustainability evolve greatly over the years she has been with Yara. What’s the view from Asia, where a Green Deal akin to that of Europe is starting to be discussed. “It’s not a solid, unified voice yet,” she says. But those voices are growing louder.

Using her platform for good

Another area where she has been working for change is in diverse representation in management. Despite Brazil’s reputation as a racial democracy, she recalls being one of a small minority of Black students at her university. Moving to Europe raised her consciousness, and she began to develop the vocabulary to describe the systemic racism that she witnessed and experienced.

“Being a Black woman in the corporate world has really increased my awareness of these issues,” she says. “Because being Black is not something that I can (or want to) switch off in the morning when I go to work, in order to fit into the environments that I am part of. I want to bring my full self to work – and that includes my culture, my ancestry and my Brazilian upbringing.”

Her activism in this space was galvanised by the shocking death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in the United States in 2020. Together with a colleague, she went to her CEO to demand action on improving the corporate world for young Black leaders. “I thought I would get fired, but I figured, what is the point of being in a leadership position if I cannot use this platform?” Instead, her CEO responded with his full support, and a programme for Black leaders was established to help them navigate the corporate world better, something Lopes Larsen says she wishes she had had when she was starting out.

She cites as inspiration two Brazilian compatriots, Luana Genot and Adriana Barbosa, “who through their relentless advocacy work have empowered and opened the doors of opportunities to countless Black Brazilians” in the corporate world. She met them at the Davos summit, which she attended for the second time in 2022.

“For those who think the World Economic Forum event is just an elite gathering, they couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve met fantastic CEOs, entrepreneurs, public officials and third sector leaders who are humble, purpose-driven and committed to resolving the most urgent issues we face as a planet today: food security and climate change. I’ve had the privilege to meet some of the most amazing minds, particularly women, who are at the forefront of the fight for racial equality, social justice and prosperity.”

Lopes Larsen remains ever hopeful:

“I think the corporate world is a major actor. We have the intellectual competence, and we employ a lot of people. So when the corporate world moves, other parts of the world will as well. Nothing will deter me from continuing to advocate with the tools I have at my disposal.”

And though she may never see the fruits of her labour in her or her daughter’s lifetime, she says, “Honestly, I don’t need the flowers, I just want to make sure I am helping to plant the seeds.”