Among the many challenges that Brazilian agriculture faces are those related to environmental issues, especially emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and their relationship to global climate change. There is still much uncertainty about it and, many times, the media highlights negative aspects instead of benefits from agriculture on the environment, economy and society. However, most of the information used and data available to base these discussions are generated in other countries, without considering the peculiarities of the production systems used in Brazil, in particular of integrated crop-livestock-forest systems (ICLF). Addressing this issue, this event aims to present updated information about GHG dynamics in different agricultural systems as result of studies carried out in Brazil by Embrapa and its partners. In this event, which has the support of the Agriculture and Livestock Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul State (Famasul), Embrapa will officially launch the brand concept Carbon Neutral Beef (CCN). It aims to attest, setting parameters for auditing, that beef produced under silvopastoral (livestock-forest, ILF) or agrosilvopastoral systems (crop-livestock-forest, ICLF) has its GHG emission volumes compensated during the production process, through tree growth on the system. Moreover, it aims to add value to Brazilian beef produced under such integrated systems, sustainable and eco-efficient, and able to improve animal welfare.
Background
In 2010, Embrapa organized the first edition of the International Symposium on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture (SIGEE), with participation of top researchers from Brazil and abroad, active in areas related to GHG and climate change. The event identified and compiled the state of the art on the issue of GHG dynamics in the Brazilian agriculture and the major research bottlenecks in this subject. In 2011, Embrapa and its partners created the Pecus Network (greenhouse gases dynamics in Brazilian livestock production systems), a landmark study on GHG emissions and sequestration at the Brazilian agriculture. The Pecus Network has experimental fields in all Brazilian biomes. In Mato Grosso do Sul there is ongoing research in Campo Grande (Embrapa Beef Cattle), Dourados (Embrapa Western Region Agriculture) and Corumbá (Embrapa Pantanal). This network should finish the first study cycle in 2016, with a remarkable amount of results to be disseminated, which will be presented at the II SIGEE.
In this second edition of SIGEE, updated information on the dynamics of GHG in the Brazilian agriculture will be presented, seeking to benchmark with trends in international agriculture. It will also be discussed results of investigations carried out on the topic in Brazil considering potential impacts on different production systems. Closing the event, a positive agenda for Brazilian agriculture will be consolidated, with guidelines for the different biomes in order to reduce the environmental impact on them through improved GHG mitigating systems.
Overeall Goals
Share novel knowledge about GHG dynamics in the Brazilian agriculture.
Specific Goals
- Discuss the trends for GHG dynamics or world’s agriculture and its relationship with the Brazilian reality.
- Organize a positive agenda for Brazilian agriculture, with guidelines to reduce environmental impact, focusing on GHG dynamics.
