Regenerative Livestock in Agroforestry

Brazil has the largest commercial herd of cattle, and is among the world’s leading meat exporters. It is estimated that the area occupied by pastures in Brazil corresponds to 168 million hectares, of which 80% is in some degree of degradation (Dias-Filho, 2007). Therefore, conventional livestock production is associated with substantial environmental impacts.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are one measure of environmental impact. According to FAO (2016), global emissions caused by human action totaled 54.3mt CO₂e, with agriculture and livestock farming and land use change responsible for 24% of the total. In Brazil, the same activities contribute 72% of the 2.3mt CO₂e emitted in the country. Also according to FAO (2016), among the agricultural activities carried out in the country, livestock farming contributes 65% of emissions.

Livestock farming’s contribution to emissions is mainly due to the large area occupied by poorly managed and low-productivity pastures, which even contributes to the expansion of the agricultural frontier in native forest regions. An efficient pasture-based animal production system has a lot of organic matter in the soil, a high volume of forage and, consequently, a high stocking rate. In addition to greater productivity, it results in several ecological benefits such as carbon sequestration and water retention in the soil and less land required for production.

There are several strategies to achieve good productivity rates in pasture production systems. The most common is the intensification of the system, based on correction of soil fertility, fertilization of pastures, adoption of supplementation in the dry season, division of pastures for rotation based on the optimal agronomic range of each grass, and adjustments in the stocking rate based on forage production throughout the year. Integrated systems (iLP and iLPF) have gained prominence in agriculture. However, just like intensification, they depend on a large volume of chemical inputs and are still unable to employ the arboreal component in a viable, efficient and biodiverse way.

The adoption of agroforestry systems, such as silvopastoral systems (SSP), has been highlighted as one of the most effective options for regenerating degraded pastures and increasing productivity. SSPs are characterized by the integration of trees (native or exotic), mixed or single-species pasture and an animal component, with the aim of obtaining products or services from the components present.

The presence of trees as a fundamental component, whether for the diversification of production (timber and non-timber), or for complementing forage and improving the environment for livestock, stands out for the incorporation of environmental services into the system, such as soil conservation, water regulation, carbon sequestration and increased biodiversity. Trees contribute to ensuring the thermal comfort of animals, providing more rumination time and less idle time. Reducing energy losses to dissipate heat also has an influence on the herd's production and reproductive rates.

There are also alternatives to make SSP even more regenerative and biodiverse, with the inclusion of nitrogen-fixing legumes, shrubs or trees. These plants help address seasonal changes in tropical forage supply and provide higher-quality feed. These systems are called intensive SSP (SSPi) due to the greater density of forage and service tree species. The greater supply, diversity and quality of forage in these systems results in a higher stocking rate, when compared to conventional or even intensified pastures.

Numerous experiences in tropical regions demonstrate that mixed pastoral and wooded systems have higher productivity rates, both for livestock and the arboreal component. The wide adoption of SSPi for the production of one of the main commodities often associated with environmental degradation is a definitive strategy for productive restoration of the landscape, adding environmental services to production areas.

Now, PRETATERRA takes on a new challenge: the Pasto Vivo project

With our partners at Luxor, Meraki Impact, Renature and EMBRAPA, we will use all our know-how in creating modular, replicable, adaptable designs suited to local conditions to develop a solution for large-scale agroforestry livestock farming, starting on a 1,200 hectare pilot property in western Mato Grosso. Follow the next steps of this innovative project.

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Collaboration on the text: Everton Lemos – Animal scientist.