Research carried out by the ILPF Development Network reveals that the system has increased by almost ten million hectares in ten years and has already sequestered 21.8 million tons of CO2
In 2015, Brazilian agribusiness had an area of 11.5 million hectares where agricultural production took place through integrated systems, involving livestock, agriculture and also the planting of forests. The finding was made in a recent survey carried out by the Kleffmann Group, commissioned by the ILPF-Integração Lavoura-Pecuária-Floresta Development Network, a public-private partnership formed by companies, cooperatives and in which Embrapa – Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation also participates. . The Development Network is part of a joint effort to intensify the adoption of crop-livestock-forest integration systems by rural producers.
The survey showed that, in ten years, the area occupied by the ILPF increased by almost ten million hectares. In terms of configuration, the most used system is crop-livestock integration, highlighted by 83% of producers; 9% said they use crop-livestock-forest integration; 7% maintained livestock-forest integration; and 1% applied crop-forest integration. By State, the leader in area destined for production with the ILPF system is Mato Grosso do Sul, with a total of 2.085 million hectares; followed by Mato Grosso, with 1.5 million hectares; and Rio Grande do Sul, with 1.4 million hectares. Minas Gerais and Goiás also stand out, respectively, with 1.046 million and 943 thousand hectares.
The research also found that integration has gained greater support in recent years, as 29% of those interviewed said they adopted the system between 2011 and 2015. During this period, the average area with ILPF rose from 4.3%, to 9.4% of the agricultural area of farms. Among livestock farmers who use ILPF, the forecast is that the average space allocated to the system will reach 20.6% of the arable area of their properties in 2030. Another very encouraging fact for the system is that 84% of livestock farmers are satisfied with the results from ILPF.
Francisco Matturro, Vice-President of Abag-Brazilian Agribusiness Association, comments that producers' satisfaction is basically due to the many benefits of the system. Among the main ones, he highlights: “increase in net income, allowing greater capitalization for the producer; improving the quality and conservation of productive soil characteristics; increased production of grains, meat, milk, wood products in the same area; possibility of application on properties of any size; reduction of seasonality in the use of labor; greater optimization of production processes; economic stability with reduced uncertainty due to production diversification; in addition to reducing pressure to open new areas with native vegetation”, concluded Matturro.
The adoption of the integration system also results in environmental benefits. The research commissioned by the ILPF Development Network also found that, between 2010 and 2015, the increase of 5.96 million hectares was responsible for the sequestration of 21.8 million tons of CO2. Other benefits arising from the system: maintenance of biodiversity and sustainability of agriculture, optimization and intensification of nutrient cycling in the soil, and improvement of animal welfare due to the greater thermal comfort provided by sharing the forest with pasture.
Source: Agrolink
