Context
The Cerrado is the most biodiverse savanna in the world, covering 25% of Brazil’s territory and hosting 5% of the world’s total animals and plants. It is the habitat of 10,000 plant species, with 45% being endemic to the region. This ecosystem supplies three of South America’s main water sources: the Amazon, Paraguay and São Francisco rivers.
In terms of products and in recent decades, Cerrado in Brazil has been the most important region for the agricultural business worldwide. One third of total soybean production in global markets has been generated here. Between 2001 and 2017, soybean production in Brazil tripled, but this productive growth came at an immense environmental cost.
In Brazil, we work with local stakeholders and the agribusiness sector to integrate the value of sustainable practices into supply chains.
In the states of Maranhão, Mato Grosso, and Goiás we promote the integration of large-scale forest-pasture systems.
Cerrado is responsible for nearly 70% of soybean production in Brazil, but deforestation, expansion of agricultural areas and fires have destroyed nearly 60% of this region. It is estimated that by 2030, Cerrado will lose tens of millions more acres of native vegetation, and its destruction rate has been twice that of the Amazon rainforest.
In light of this situation, we work towards a sustainable expansion of agriculture in degraded grasslands, improving land use efficiency and recovering soil health, since Brazil has extensive areas with degraded grasslands that do not yield their full potential.
Through the Reverte project – a partnership between TNC and Syngenta, based on science, innovation and collaboration – we address the global challenge of providing food and water in a sustainable manner. The project, launched in 2019, aims to demonstrate the economic feasibility of restoring degraded pastures, minimizing the expansion of cultivated areas, preventing deforestation, increasing productivity in existing areas, and improving the state of ecosystem services through regenerative practices that enhance natural conditions, the agricultural sector, and people’s livelihoods.
Additionally, the project promotes the resilience of production systems to extreme weather events and conditions and sustainable soil management and conservation, as this region stores a large amount of carbon in the soil and it is possible to retain up to 118 tons of carbon per acre.
Implemented Practices
Additionally, the project aims to promote the adoption of large-scale integrated silvopastoral systems, with a level of implementation of 100,000 hectares under regenerative practices for reforestation, sustainable soil management, and holistic pastureland restoration and management to achieve the outcomes of our R2A strategy.
Benefits
Additionally, the project aims to promote the adoption of large-scale integrated silvopastoral systems, with a level of implementation of 100,000 hectares under regenerative practices for reforestation, sustainable soil management, and holistic pastureland restoration and management to achieve the outcomes of our R2A strategy.
Through regenerative and conservation practices in Cerrado, it is possible to improve the conditions of ecosystem services in this region and generate relevant impacts such as:
- Increased carbon capture and sequestration in the soil
- Reduced natural habitat conversion, leveraging existing agricultural areas
- Habitat restoration and conservation, increasing their biodiversity
- More efficient use of water
- Better soil health with increased production capacity, fertility and water retention
Reverte is aligned with Brazil’s commitments in the Paris Agreement, which includes the recovery of degraded grasslands and the implementation of integrated production systems on 20 million hectares by 2030.
Let’s make a bigger impact
Write to us if you would like to learn more about our work in Cerrado and Latin America. Be a part of this change.