Lack of clear metrics to measure impacts is one of the highlighted points, including for combating greenhouse gas emissions. CEBDS document presents successful examples of companies that go “from field to table”, covering the entire agribusiness chain
The absence of comprehensive metrics and definitions for regenerative agriculture in Brazil has been an impasse for promoting this practice in the country. This is one of the conclusions of the study Regenerative Agriculture in Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities, which will be launched by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) during COP28 (UN Climate Conference). The publication is the result of a series of workshops carried out by the CEBDS Agro-food Systems Thematic Chamber, with the presence of representatives from the public, private sector, academia and civil society, and suggests the creation of definitions that consider the plurality of sustainable agricultural practices and conservationists, which are also adapted to the national reality. The production sector also defends that, in addition to environmental criteria, the social, economic and financial sustainability of these practices should be considered.
For the business sector, the absence of a single and common definition of rules and concepts in Brazil regarding regenerative agriculture can bring challenges to the implementation and recognition of practices and their positive impacts. Therefore, the study seeks to bring greater clarity about these practices and metrics and a suggested definition, which can support more public policies aimed at promoting and implementing regenerative agriculture in Brazil, such as the RenovAgro Program (Plano Safra 2023/2024).
“The implementation of regenerative agriculture in Brazil is an important strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus position the food sector as an important actor in the fight against climate change, in addition to increasing resilience to the impacts of these changes on production. of food. It therefore also contributes to food security and the production of healthy food that is accessible to everyone”, comments Juliana Lopes, director of Nature and Society at CEBDS.
The document highlights some gaps in the implementation of regenerative agriculture, such as the lack of a concept and definition for regenerative agriculture for Brazil; lack of a regulatory framework on the topic; and the need to build criteria and metrics that analyze and prove whether the expected results for a regenerative production system have been achieved, which makes it possible for an agricultural producer to be certified/recognized with a “regenerative agricultural production seal”, and thus add value to your product.
The study also defines which positive impacts regenerative agriculture should generate: conservation and rehabilitation of food and agricultural systems; recovery and maintenance of soil fertility; increased biodiversity; improvement of the hydrological cycle; landscape management with attention to ecosystem services; resilience and adaptation to climate change; zero or negative Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions; assistance in combating food insecurity.
According to the study, the promotion of regenerative agriculture in Brazil can be stimulated in different ways, both by the public and private sectors. Throughout its development, potential tools were identified to stimulate regenerative agricultural production, such as research into agricultural practices, stimulating technologies aimed at low-carbon agriculture; creation of communication tools with rural producers to train more sustainable and productive techniques; financial instruments, such as subsidized rural credit, pricing policies; and command and control policies.
The document also reserves space for examples of companies that already practice regenerative agriculture initiatives. These examples go “from field to table”, showing an effort by the productive sector in different areas to promote more sustainable practices. There are initiatives from the following companies: Amaggi, Bayer, Carrefour, Danone, Eneva, Mosaic, Nestlé, Syngenta, West Rock and Yara.
The Glasgow climate pact and countries' commitments to strengthening their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement are key elements in addressing climate challenges. Leading companies in the sector are implementing practices and partnerships that promote regenerative agriculture, generating positive environmental and socioeconomic impacts.
“The Brazilian business sector highlights its crucial role in promoting regenerative agriculture, suggesting tools such as research into agricultural practices, technical assistance, financial instruments, tax incentives and command and control policies to stimulate sustainable agricultural production. For the future, Brazilian companies are committed to leading discussions, supporting public policies and contributing to the implementation of regenerative agriculture in the country. They believe that this strategy is fundamental to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening food security and promoting the production of healthy and affordable food for everyone”, explains Carla Gheler, coordinator of Agri-food Systems at CEBDS.
