The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO said on Tuesday that millions of people around the world can escape hunger poverty and environmental degradation. According to FAO, this will be possible if countries strive to promote agroforestry, a system that combines trees, crops and livestock. From UN Radio in New York, Edgar Junior.
Cooperafloresta arises from a great potential that existed in the Ribeira Valley, with people who had practiced an agriculture where nature and forests recomposed the fertility of the soil, they generated the fertility of the land. Here people already practiced agroforestry, and because it is a form of agriculture that mingles so much with nature; when the Portuguese arrived here, they did not recognize it as a form of agriculture. So, there are records in a famous letter written by Pero Vaz de Caminha to the Portuguese King which said: that they only eat this yam, which is everywhere and these seeds that shoot themselves from trees, as if the indigenous people did not sow, did not plant food forests.
What is interesting, is that the recovery of these knowledge got to "Barra do Turvo" through the teachings of a Swiss man: Ernst, which is something he drank from the peoples of America from the heart of America. And he is a great theorist of modern biology, modern agriculture. Now, this type of agroforestry I'm doing, are agro ecosystems that produces their own fertilizer, and that produce all the time, I mean that there are several crops to harvest throughout the year.
So we create an ecosystem that gives you, from the moment of its creation until it becomes a mature forest, a large production of food. In the early years, me and Osvaldinho, worked with several farming families . .
. Many of them took the course with Ernst. I found out about agroforestry through a course with Ernst, I got very excited.
Then my boss in the office of agriculture, said: Look, you can find family farmers in "Barra do Turvo", But Agriculture was in crisis there, the slash and burn method of agriculture, was not producing enough goods to sell in the market We started at the very end of 95, early 96. Back then I used to plant corn, rice, and beans . .
. We had some bananas as well, but . .
. we did not know how to sell them. When the price was good the middleman would take it when it was not we would loose everything.
So I was even selling the farm, you know? Then, within six months we decided not to sell it anymore, as we could see this system was really working, I could see that something new had arrived to stay . I like to say that agroforestry, apart from it teaching us how to survive on earth, it educates us, and makes us humble.
And I have said: We do not know how many lives Nature's has, Only God knows, right? And with this work of agroforestry we create life where the land is worn out, poor already, right? Because when men impoverishes earth,he is also impoverishing himself The first time I heard of agroforestry A fellow named Osvaldinho, some sort of an elf walking around this Planet He told me he wanted to sell me an idea, but in a somewhat of a clumsy way.
The idea was good, we liked it, my brothers and I here at home, and from then on we started working with agroforestry, it has been a little over 15 years now. The two farmers who started there, were Mr Sezefredo, which was a traditional farmer, had lived of the fields, and the other was Pedro. A metallurgical worker from São Paulo whose profession was replaced by machines.
It was his sister who paid for his ticket so he could return to the farm. He returned with a jackfruit he planted in a pot in his apartment. And the day he harvested a 25kg jackfruit, from the plant he had brought from the city, he said: "What should I do?
What will I do in life that gives more profit than this? Before the farming we did here was what is called traditional . .
. that part was mowing and burning, right? The so-called slash and burn.
Today, analyzing things from an angle, of someone who has some knowledge in agroforestry, I do not think it was a wrong kind of agriculture. But, in our times it was not working anymore, because the land could no longer recover from the fires. I think that agroforestry is not much more than then the evolution of that system.
There is a saying that says: a farmer who has rich soil is rich; And a farmer with poor soil, is poor But in the way we have been doing agriculture in this country, even with rich soil the farmer is poor. Because we have not learned to respect the principles of nature. The impression you get is that people act like, as if to live; we have to kill the earth.
And agroforestry is quite the opposite, for you really to live you need to leave the environment better than it was when you arrived. This for me is the main principle of sustainability I see, well, a very large value in this work, because if you think of how much knowledge was multiplied here? In addition to improving our air, improving this piece of land we have here, huh?
This land that is the mother all this life that exists in this planet, right? I am so amazed by this tree, it's showing us here. So these doubt.
. . whoever has this doubt should see this and get rid of this bad habit.
If we plant a tree; a fruit tree that takes 15/17 years to give fruits, such as a Jabuticaba tree; Those who are old might not enjoy it's fruits; Those who are close to dying; but our kids; our grandkids; they'll enjoy it! . .
. Apart from all the water, preserved here, and that is the most precious thing in life. Agroforestry meant; to the farmers families in Barra do Turvo; a great reconstruction of knowledge; and feelings.
It's a recovery of their own territory; of belonging to life; life in the whole planet Earth. Every family feels they are doing work; not just for themselves, but for the entire planet. Before I knew about agroforestry I did traditional farming; dealt with livestock Then one day I did a course on milking cows, and I met Osvaldinho.
In 1995 I was organizing, organic produce markets with these farmers but because they worked on hills; I couldn't use organic fertilizers or the technological package. So, I was giving up on my profession. Then when I was introduced to agroforestry; which depends only of seeds and good care; I found a way to keep working with those farmers.
Organic farming; as it is done today; Is a bit of exchanging the chemical package by the organic package. I don't believe that this will bring freedom in the long term to human beings; because we'll still be enslaved by something that you need to buy from a store, to be able to practice agriculture. Because agroforestry is not just just the cultivation of food; you're cultivating life; right?
How many animals are there that you don't see; that are helping the land; helping with retaining water? And after I started to work with this system I noticed a big change. The dirt started to become softer.
If you dig here you'll find. . .
if you dig here you'll find worms right at the surface level. Before I started working with agroforestry; we worked with the traditional system. Burning, clearing everything and planting beans; rice and corn.
Then after we started implementing agroforestry; we are working according to natures principles; covering the soil. By putting the bushes and the branches of wood right on it. all organic matter produced by nature.
and we use this over our crops. Little by little the soil rebuilds itself. As I said; the university people never came here before; had never done research here.
Four big partners are doing research in agroforestry; through the "Agroflorestar" Project: ESALQ; Parana Federal University; "Embrapa Florestas" and the Chico Mendes Institute coordinated by Dr Walter Steenbock. I work in a conservation unit that belongs to the national forest category; the Açungui National Forest; in which the focus of research is in sustainable multi-forestry. And there nothing more related to sustainable multi forestry than agroforestry.
The "Agroflorestar" Project has a research axis; inside this axis there's different lines of work. One of these is related to the ecological area; ecological production. The main focus on this ecological line is the evaluation of the structures of agroforestry and the retention of carbon.
We selected; togetherwith the farmers and the tech team; sixteen agroforestry farms; where we analyzed the vegetation; the forests structure and the biodiversity. And began to cross check these data; from there; we started studying the carbon dynamics. This research was not all done here; it was made in other ranches as well; they cut trees of different sizes; took a small piece from the tip; the middle; they weighed; measured.
. . As it should be; a higher density of plants and biodiversity is associated with higher retention of carbon.
I've been noticing; day after day; that through the accumulation of organic matter,that the soil is getting better; darker; with more trees. That's a sign of more sequestered carbon. From an environmental point of view; the results we already have are that agroforests have sequestered a higher amount of carbon than a simple natural process of regeneration.
This capturing of CO2 is increased through the agroforestry system There's a lot of pruning; a lot of this material is left on the ground; this pruned material is not left in a messy way; it's taken care of so as the recycling of nutrients is done correctly. This optimizes a lot the transfer of the carbon from the pruned material to the ground; increasing the soils fertility;increasing the amount of plants; consequently the sequestering of carbon. The agroforestry system accelerates the path of natural succession.
You get a forest with larger amounts of organic matter in the soil more rapidly. . .
with differnt levels of mature trees way faster than if the human being did not participate in this proccess What we think is really important is that you have about 6 to 7 tons of carbon/hectare sequestered per year; year in agroforestry; that's very important because it is associated with to the production of food. Nowadays the compensation for environmental services is associated to being able to destroy in one side while fixing somewhere else; that in terms of the planet; in terms of the whole planetary territory; is about to end; we have been exploring more than a planet per year. Agroforestry is maybe the only production system from which you can get food safety; income; associated to increasing biodiversity plus all other environmental services it plays.
that biodiversity can bring to the soil: erosion reduction; regulation of the bioclimatic and much more; and with people inside; living well in it; eating well and making a good income. It has yucca; yam; coffee seeds; orange seeds; you got all that here on these "raised beds". We always mention that this was the main reason of our lives; feeding.
There's no it's a natural product; right? There is where you eat the food; there are several options that exists in a agroforest farm. That's abundance, right?
Our intention here is to treat it well. There are a lot of little seeds here; aside the one I already harvested for myself; there's way more here to eat. God didn't make the world and left; he's constantly creating the world.
Only for the environmentalist that is isolated from nature; that stays in the big city and see nature only as an image. . .
so he see nature as an image and believes he needs to preserve that image. What we need to preserve in life is the path; the direction that life takes in the path of abundance and wealth. There are a lot of people saying that the world is ending; I understood that is not that it's ending; because it's not like a photo; the world is like a movie; and is always on.
And sometime something that is ending for one is beginning for another; in a different level. And us; human beings; we also have the chance to live our lives changing; dying and being reborn a better human being; day-by-day. Each one of us knows what's right and is good; but we just don't want to pay the price for it.
We should to pay that price I can see that paying the price is gratifying. After I noticed the change; in the income and everything else; I even had a spiritual revelation; with God. It seemed like I wasn't on the floor; my kids and me were kind of floating on top; the way those people walk; then it was my kids and I hovering over agroforestry.
When I'm inside the plantations; I feel like I'm in heaven; because we coexist with nature; God is talking to you; you're looking at a plant; right? That little space that I'm working on here; sometimes I go there and I look at a I go there and I look at a And I become enchanted by it because I love nature. I think the first conclusion that is very interesting to notice is how good can a agroforest be.
When we ask this question to technicians and researchers; we asked this question to our team from several institutes that are involved in the project; the answers always mentions mentions the productivity and biodiversity. When we asked this question from the farmers; besides the productivity and the biodiversity; there are several criteria's that is associated with the maintenance and articulation that is associated with the maintenance and articulation. So for certain farmers; the agroforest is only good when it has lots of people working on it; if it is complete; if the people taking care of the plants; care like it belong to themselves; if exists an exchange in the community.
To belong to "Cooperafloresta" is necessary to help each other; teach each other through big numbers of people. There's a weekly gathering by groups; just like here at Areia Branca; we are divided in three groups; each group is mandatory to do this work gathering every week; then we go around; farm to farm. This work gatherings is what guarantees the certification of our products.
One farmer visiting each other; working on each other's properties; you see what he's doing there; he's exchanging experience. So when you see a product from agroecology; a product of agroforestry in the market that has the certification of our association; you know certification of our association; you know So; what agroforestry has been doing; is promoting these gathering of young people in the farm; very important; working together in a workshop. The Cooperafloresta is a form of learning and acquire knowledge in a spectacular way; because we a living in harmony with each other.
I already live with my parents for 6 to 7 years I already live with my parents for 6 to 7 years after taking up a course at Cooperafloresta is giving to farmer's children. It was then that I felt it and became started to practice it more actively. So; it's been two years that I adopted agroforestry for real.
Before coming here; I lived with my brothers in Curitiba; but it wasn't what I wanted; right? Over there I worked commerce; supermarkets; assistant mason. .
. I tried all kind of work; I drove a truck a few years back too. .
. I worked in construction; in a gas station; and we make a lot of money but. .
. the amount you spend on a daily but. .
. the amount you spend on a daily I came back because of agroforestry; it was what really brought me here; not just because it preserves nature; but it gives an income; you live well; the quality of life is much better. There was a time in my life I left to work out there.
When I came back and saw what the world was like; I wanted to do something new. . .
Listen; the youngsters of Cooperafloresta; their dreams when they start the agroforestry course; was that they was going to learn to use a computer; one girl said: "then one day I will work with telemarketing in the city. " But today; several you interviewed; are merchants or finding internship. So; today they feel they are recognized; they realize that they are learning.
And at the same time they are trying to take to a higher level; even on those hills; they are using chainsaws; small tractors like the "Tobata" to increase their yields And Nelson is trying that. . .
today Coopera is trying to be implemented in a plain space in Riberão Preto on a MST settlement. The Agroflorestar Project allow Cooperafloresta to give classes of agroforestry in six schools from the MST and in Via Campezina. According to the discussions between Coopera and the schools; they've open a way to talk with the movement; bringing agroforestry to the table; and it will implemented first class agroforestry to Brazil.
Since that contact; the farmers families strongly asked that the project was taken to the MST organization. When I first learn about MST; one of the first things that we started to realize is that; without agroforestry; it would be almost impossible to revert the situation that the world is in. The movement adopted this flag which is producing without using poison; but trying that the organic production took over that issue; besides producing food for the families; inserting themselves in the agribusiness out there; that is possible that you can produce food for a population without using agro-chemicals.
The Mario Lago settlement; because of where it is located; which is the recharging area of Guarani aquifer; in a place where the monoculture; the logic of the agro-business is very much consolidated; the settlement's own existence already projects a perspective of a new path. There's a year and half that the MST has given us; together with the Cooperafloresta project; the chance to get to know Barra do Turvo; the agroforestry system from there. And I had the opportunity of going there and falling in love for it.
When they mention the course of agroforestry; I already did organic produce; using foliage on my land; because since Bahia I knew about organic fertilizer. In Bahia; like over here; no one uses chemicals in the soil; except the big states. Then that's when I used to bring; buy foliage to spread in our lands.
So some people were against because I was bringing foliage; lots of it; from the city; here to the the farms; to my land. . .
"Oh; but what are we going to do with Chiquinho's land? There's a bunch of trash over there. .
. " We visited "Barra do Turvo" to see how agroforestry was working there. Nelson; was very helpful; said we had the opportunity to expand agroforestry beyond "Barra do Turvo".
We managed bring part of the project here to be implemented. Now we're working with 90 families who are adopting agroforestry. I was in "Barra do Turvo"; I learned a lot; My mates and me; And all the knowledge we got there we brought here to the movement.
And creating this settlement with agro-ecological production in the heart of the agro-business; that is Riberão Preto. This makes us believe that we can bring some benefits to the city; when it comes to air quality; reforesting and avoid putting chemicals in the Guarani aquifer; because here is one of the recharging places this aquifer; and also producing food to supply this city that only produces 5% of what it consumes; the rest they need to import. We were able to get this area here because it suffered severely from environmental degradation.
In the settlement project; 20% of the land was alocated to legal reserve and in our proposition; to do the settlement here; we added another 15% of agroforestry systems. Sometimes; when you are doing a small area; you don't have to use mechanized means; manual mode is enough. But here; because it's a area almost 250 acres; that needs to be reforested; than mechanization is necessary.
Today we need to use technology. We are in favor of technology; the problem is how technology is used sometimes; the concentrated technology that workers have no access to it. The implementation is simplified by putting the grass in a stripe formation That facilitates the mechanization process.
Cooperafloresta says: If you start the agroforestry system today; in 25 days you'll have radish ready to harvest and ready to sell it. Since the first 25 to 28 days you start already to harvest produce from the agroforest and you don't stop from then on. Therefore; it's way to reforest Brazil and produce food for mankind.
The consumers will have the possibility; Is having the possibility of buying healthier produce and with a fair price. So by producing food; the settlement itself already has a differential. I think; the consumer is most important; without him we can't make this transformation The MST has the technology to gather people and Coopera has the technology to gather plants.
This partnership was bound to happen. The Cooperafloresta exists expand itself; to bring man back to his territory. The MST exists because of the realization that man has detached himself from nature; from this holy territory.
We want our land back; we want our nature back; we want to rediscover this place that was expropriated from us. In reality; is like we have been expropriated from ourselves and have a chance to rediscover ourselves as a group; not individuals. I'd like to leave the following message: society needs to wake up and come and see the system; because all the degraded areas in Brazil are someones responsability; but the repairing it is not the responsability of that individual but the whole society.
When I plant a tree here; I'm not planting it for myself; I'm planting it for mankind. So; it's everyone's responsibility; not just the settlers or the camped ones or the ones who are reforesting here. I believe that the process of occupation of this land; the recapture of this territory; the importance of this place; the importance of reconstructing in this place; that's what is going to evolve people's consciousness.
It brought clarity to our lives; brought us a horizon that we can look and feel it's infinite. The human being is bound to be free; is bound to do this work for all l living beings; but through a ultra conscious way. There's a new humanity that is being born destined for this big change; this big change of behavior.
