reporter
Name Affiliation Title Ryo Hibiya Specialist Contractor, Environmental Management and Climate Change Group, Global Environment Department
Event Summary
Date: 11/21/2024
Organized by Regional Climate Foundations (RCF)
Name of venue (pavilion name): RCF Pavilion
speaker
Name Affiliation Title Director, Sustainable Production and Irrigation Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Brno Brasil Pedro Canto Special Assistant to the Minister, Ministry of Agriculture Marcelo Morandi Director, International Relations Department, Agricultural and Pastoral Research Corporation Rodrigo Lima President, Agroícone Yukichi Usui Section Chief, Environmental Management and Climate Change Response Group, Global Environment Department, JICA
Background and Objectives
The event focused on Brazil’s national program to transform degraded pastures into sustainable agroforestry systems, and discussed whether investments in restoring degraded pastures can have positive effects, such as food security and GHG emissions reduction, and investment models that contribute to both environmental and sustainability and economic development. The purpose of the conference was to discuss investment models that contribute to both environmental sustainability and economic development.
Contents
In his opening remarks, Mr. Brazil, Director of the Sustainable Production and Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, introduced the ABC+ Program being implemented in Brazil (2021-2030). This program is a national strategy to achieve low-carbon agriculture, and is the core of the country’s efforts to achieve NDC. He also noted that 60% of the country’s pasturelands are in a state of disrepair and degradation, and that the PNCPD (National Program for the Conversion of Disastrous Pastures to Sustainable Agroforestry Production Systems) aims to convert 80 million ha of degraded pastures in the country (26 million ha of which are considered especially suitable for agriculture) into agricultural land. He emphasized the importance of private investment as well as government investment.
Mr. Kant, Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, began the panel discussion by introducing the PNCPD, pointing out that although there are already technologies for converting degraded pastures into agricultural land due to the progress of research, the current lack of social commitment, manpower, and preferential financing policies for farmers are preventing their rapid implementation. However, the current lack of social commitment, manpower, and preferential financing policies for farmers are preventing their rapid realization.
Mr. Morandi, Director of International Relations at the Agricultural and Pastoral Research Corporation, described how the savanna areas (Cerrado) that have been converted to arable farmland through research and development since the 1970s have been challenged to maintain their productivity over the long term after conversion. He stressed the importance of international cooperation in terms of promoting global sharing of scientific knowledge, in addition to funding for research and development.
Agroícone President Lima noted that a total of nine workshops were held this year in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute for Climate and Social Studies (iCS), with the participation of about 400 managers and technicians from the federal, state, private, and other sectors, to list areas of degraded pasture lands that could be converted to agricultural land. He stated that in order to attract international investment, it is important to disclose detailed information on degraded rangelands and economic plans for farmland conversion.
Mr. Usui, Director of the Environmental Management and Climate Change Response Group, Global Environment Department of JICA, presented his vision that grain production through low-carbon agriculture on improved degraded pastureland in Brazil would not only contribute significantly to global food security and climate change countermeasures, but also to energy security in the region through biofuel production, realization of a recycling-based rural economy, and social inclusion. The vision also includes the realization of local energy security through biofuel production and a recycling-oriented rural economy, which in turn can contribute to social inclusion.
group photo
© Source JICA
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.