janeiro, 16 2021

By Daniely Lima

In the heart of the country, the Brazilian Cerrado plays an important role in the biodiversity and maintenance of natural resources, especially water resources, being vital for the country's agricultural production. The Working Group for Rehabilitation of Degraded Areas in the Cerrado (GT Pastagens) carried out three studies that show it is possible to intensify and scale up the rehabilitation of degraded pastures in the Cerrado, improve their economic performance and reduce the impact of production, while reducing the pressure for new deforestation.

The study "Quality and agricultural suitability of pasture areas in the Cerrado biome", produced by the Image Processing and Geoprocessing Laboratory of the Federal University of Goiás (LAPIG-UFG), in partnership with WWF-Brazil, aimed to map the quality of pastures in the Cerrado in the last decade and identify those areas that are unproductive (or not very productive) and have potential for more efficient use.

The study showed that among the areas with some level of degradation, 7.7 million hectares have agricultural potential and do not have restrictions for the cultivation of grains, being areas of interest for productivity rehabilitation.

According to the Pro-Rector of the Federal University of Goiás, Laerte Guimarães Ferreira, “the potential for using those areas is important, as they are necessary solutions for the Cerrado that can significantly reduce deforestation by optimizing the use of areas that are already open and available”.

For WWF-Brazil Conservation Analyst, Laís Ernesto Cunha, the study presents an analysis that points to a scenario of possibilities. “Identifying those areas is a big step. Rehabilitating degraded pastures in the Cerrado can benefit several sectors and bring financial and environmental opportunities, including the increase of the productive potential of the land, carbon sequestration and soil protection”, explains the analyst.

The publication "Recovery of degraded areas and soil rehabilitation in the Brazilian Cerrado", carried out by Agroicone with the support of WWF-Brazil, shows the challenges on the subject in the Cerrado and how they can be overcome, considering both territorial and economic-financial analyses.

The research approached the potential of the productive chains of soy, meat, milk and planted forests to recover degraded areas. The results show, for example, that today in the Cerrado there are 5.6 million hectares of degraded pastures with economic potential for intensification of beef cattle, 4.3 million hectares for dairy farming, and 5 million hectares for soybean.

For the managing partner of Agroicone and coordinator of the study, Leila Harfuch, for rural producers to implement sustainable practices such as pasture recovery and crop-livestock-forest integration, support and incentive actions can be implemented.

“The engagement between various actors in the public and private sector is necessary, focusing on implementing integrated promotion actions and instruments, such as disseminating practices and technologies adapted to the regional realities of the Cerrado, reducing the legal uncertainty (environmental and land), integrating the demands of different agroindustries, fostering technical assistance and financial mechanisms consistent with the needs of the different producer profiles", comments Harfuch.

Also, in the search for more knowledge and support for the implementation of productive solutions for the Cerrado, the publication "Potential for capturing carbon in the soil from the rehabilitation of degraded pastures in the Cerrado", carried out by the Institute of Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification (Imaflora) in partnership with WWF-Brazil, shows the Brazilian rural producer how to obtain data related to soil carbon stock, including the costs involved.

According to the study, that is an opportunity for companies interested in acquiring carbon credits (also known as CREs, certified emission reductions) to mitigate the environmental impact. We are therefore talking about new business opportunities, with value creation, carbon sequestration and positive impact on society, says Project Coordinator of Imaflora Climate and Agricultural Chains Initiative, Renata Fragoso.
 
The studies were carried out by the Working Group for the Rehabilitation of Degraded Areas in the Cerrado (GT Pastagens) and funded by the European Union through the project CERES - Resilient Cerrado. Their contents are the sole responsibility of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.

Access:

• “Quality and agricultural suitability of pasture areas in the Cerrado biome”
• “Recovery of degraded areas and soil rehabilitation in the Brazilian Cerrado”
• “Soil carbon capture potential from the rehabilitation of degraded pastures in the Cerrado”

 

About GT Pastagens

The Working Group on the Rehabilitation of Degraded Areas in the Cerrado (GT Pastagens) is currently composed of members from the academia (Federal University of Goiás), the civil society (WWF-Brazil, The Nature Conservancy and Imaflora - Institute of Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification) and the private sector (Agroicone).

The purpose of the WG is to create innovative solutions to support and point out opportunities for the rehabilitation of degraded pastures in the Cerrado that can promote improvements in the production and conscious use of the land.