N/A - Hernan Escat & Michael Sawyer

WHYANBEEL, Australia

An Overview Of Our Solution

Unsustainable agriculture practice and increased human population has put enormous pressure on ecosystems in the tropics. In Queensland land clearing, predominately for logging and then sugarcane production, has reduced and decimated local biodiversity. This area extraordinary natural history, richness and complexity containing possibly the oldest continuous rainforests on the planet. It is a world heritage site rich in biodiversity and cultural significance. Human activity is putting at risk this extraordinary ecosystem. Agriculture and urban land development is encroaching on the rainforest. Loss of biodiversity, fragmentation, and invasive species are all challenges that are taxing the ecosystem. Agriculture and tourism, the main economic activities of the region, depend on the preservation of a healthy natural environment.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Suburban

Organization type

individual

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Population impacted

countless

Size of agricultural area

2.5 ha in production; 5.5 ha under tropical rainforest

Production quantity

Entering production phase

People employed

Self-employed farmers (2)

Describe your solution

Farming with nature is the answer to overcoming the issues described above. The key aspect is the awareness of how a forest ecosystem works and how it can actively be incorporated into the production area. This knowledge sets in to motion a series of changes in the way that farming is done decreasing dramatically external inputs and increasing crop reliability, financial and food security. The farmer does not have to purchase fertilizers, pesticides, or heavy machinery to grow satisfactorily his crop, this decreases significantly economic burdens on the enterprise. The farm’s lifespan is extended as the soil fertility is naturally maintained or even augmented by the continual deposit of plant debris on the soil surface. Organic matter plays a key role in soil fertility as it provides nutrients for soil microbiology converting it into valuable humus. The system could be further improved if the land holder introduces some domestic animals for added economic benefit and production as these improve the soil with their manures. Agroforestry can be implemented to grow different crops in a forest-like system. This increases the products that can be harvested from a specific area and at the same time decrease the overall amount of land needed for cultivation, therefore removing pressure on the natural forest. But the key is to utilize only native trees to shade the cacao in order to increase biodiversity and protect the local environment.

Describe your implementation

Our goal is simply to lead by example and to demonstrate to other farmers and especially to the other local cacao growers in our region, how, by restoring natural soil fertility, a low-input, yet highly productive multi-cropping system can be created; this, while increasing natural biodiversity. The challenge is in creating an organic system that produces as much as possible in two or more hectares that yields enough to economically sustain and support the small landholder without requiring him/her to put more land under cultivation. Upon acquiring the property three years ago, the first course of action was to design the planting layout and correct the obvious areas of soil erosion by planting tree species native to the Wet Tropics of Australia. A better use of the land, means a complete use of space, no space is left empty and unproductive areas are returned to habitat for wildlife. Interrows and corridors are reduced to their minimum as there is no need for tractors or heavy machinery. The avoidance of heavy machinery will decrease soil compaction and therefore enhance water absorption - improving the entire soil structure and the life it supports.Tree species were selected per their growing condition requirements. All forest strata were represented in the planting. The planting areas included the cacao paddocks, windbreaks on the property boundaries, degraded riparian areas and corridors connecting the revegetated areas with the rainforest. A diverse selection of native fruits which are also favored by local fauna including the Southern Cassowary and different flying fox species, both endangered, were included in the planting. To restore soil fertility to the paddock we began with the planting of thousands of Pigeon Pea to cover the soil and being leguminous to fix and return nitrogen to the soil. Native ground covers were planted around the production area to protect the soil. Native trees and plants increased biodiversity

External connections

Key stakeholders have been the local Douglas Shire Council who operate and maintain a native plant nursery dedicated to promoting the use of native plants in the Shire while educating the public about biodiversity and while providing practical support in supplying trees for reforestation and other environmental restoration projects. Our relationship includes one of advice and the exchange of information about native flora but also the very tangible exchange of plants and seeds collected from our property and given back to the nursery for propagation. The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water have also sent a Biosecurity Team out as part from their duties to assess risks. The team assessed the site gaining baseline data on biodiversity in the form of insect populations. They plan to return to continue this research and monitor how the insect populations change as the planting system continues to develop and mature. Our farm is also part of the Daintree Estates (Daintree Cocoa Pty. Ltd) cacao-grower’s collective who have provided us with advice both on conventional and organic cacao cultivation practices, although our approach is quite unique within the collective – most growers utilizing conventional agricultural methods. In many ways, we are charting our own course.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

The clearing of the native forest leads to loss of soil fertility, increasing pest damage. The farmer harvests less produce as there is not a satisfactory input of organic matter and nutrients into the system. Soil loses its own capacity to sustain itself as the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics are disturbed. The economic and environmental values of the forest are not considered and the farmer clears new areas in order to replace the unproductive paddocks. Crops grown on new areas of undisturbed land increases the pressure for more land to be made available for farming. Natural resources, the farmer assets, are diminished to such an extent that profitable farming is unviable and the land is left abandoned. Growing crops in this manner leads to environmental degradation that affects the farmer, the economy, and the ecosystem. Providing an alternative would have the potential to restore the environment, protect biodiversity and improve the lives of farmers.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Our property is adjacent to the Daintree National Park which is part of a series of national parks and forest reserves that form Wet Tropics World Heritage Area protecting Australian rainforest which is possibly the oldest continuous existing rainforest on the planet estimated to be 110 million years old. The forest on our property is a lowland tropical rainforest, including many species with economic interest, medicinal interest, and cultural significance. Our site was cleared of old growth rainforest in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries and was originally used for the cultivation of sugarcane. The soil had become depleted and sugarcane no longer grew satisfactorily. The land was then used to graze cattle which taxed the land further causing additional loss of surrounding native vegetation. Soil erosion was occurring on the margins of the hay paddock resulting in sediment runoff into the two freshwater creeks that run and the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

As biodiversity increased, numerous bird species, some rare, were seen such as Blue-face Parrot Finch (Erythrura trichroa), as well as many reptiles, snakes, and mammals. Mammals such as bandicoots (Perameles nasuta and Isoodon macrourus) became more common predating on cane beetle larvae which is an important pest on crops in the region. As increasingly animals visited the farm apex predators - dingoes started to hunt small mammals especially bandicoots indicating a healthy system coming into balance, yet we decided to fence some areas to protect the small mammals from wild dogs and dingoes providing habitat and refuge. The growing areas formed a continuous tree canopy that merged with the rainforest. Improvement of the overall growing conditions for the cacao resulted in better plant growth and resilience to pest and disease throughout the farm - improved growth of all the crops while increasing biodiversity with respect for nature.

Language(s)

English

Water

Decrease in water usage, erosion control, water quality leaving the farm is improved – resulting in cleaner water entering the local freshwater streams that feed into the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef - something that the Australian Government is working on to try to improve as this UNESCO World Heritage Site is under threat. That the overall water quality of the region improves as there are issues concerning chemicals from the conventional agricultural sector.

Food Security/Nutrition

Lifespan of the farm is extended as soil fertility is increased naturally. Farm practices are sustainable supporting multiple crops for economic gain. This system has the capacity to also supply other food crops normally cultivated by the small landholder in the tropics to support their family.

Economic/Sustainable Development

We are creating a low-input farming system that does not require the purchase of external inputs. A fall of pest and diseases due to a more diverse and balance environment; means no spray treatments, increases income as costs go down. The cultivation of multiple crops builds economic resilience in to the system as the farmer is not dependent upon just one crop for his families’ income. A healthy farm has the benefit that crops grown for personal consumption will have yields of quality produce

Climate

Increasing the biomass on our farm has a positive impact on climate and mitigates climate change. The local farm environment has become more protected and once the trees grew damage from wind and intense sun radiation was something of the past. Evaporation decreased, and soil moisture is retained for longer. The need for irrigation decreased and so did water usage. This approach also divests from fossil fuel inputs in utilizing natural processes of soil fertility to produce the crops.

Sustainability

Although the Australian government and environmental organizations occasionally offer grants for environmental work, no grants or subsidies have been obtained to carry out this solution. Investment to initiate change has been minimum. Propagation of the native trees and revegetation work to establish the agroforestry system can be carried out by the individual farmer. We have received some support from the local government in terms of planting advice and some trees for the project - especially the rare and endangered plants.
The solution is based upon a living system that nurtures itself from recycling its own waste. It is a natural approach to the problem of unsustainable agriculture and can be maintained without external inputs.

Return on investment

We are in the build-up phase of the farm as cacao takes two to three years to mature and produce its first crop. Once mature the cacao trees can continue to produce for decades without requiring constant investment. The dividends and the associated benefits of the initial investment to plant and establish the farm will be spread out over many years making it very difficult quantify in terms of short-term inputs and outputs.

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How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

Replication of this methodology could be applied in most tropical zones but will depend upon precise local conditions such as the amount of rainfall and its annual distribution, local soil characteristics and terrain will also have to be considered as these can be obstacles for replicating this approach in some situations. Competition for water among the different crops and native trees will also need to be well thought-out to achieve the correct balance. Local governments, environmental organizations and development groups as well as the business sector could be stakeholders in promoting and replicating this approach. It must be emphasized that local knowledge is essential to tailor each system to the local conditions and biosphere. The overall concept will be the same but each individual expression of the concept will be unique – as it should be, reflecting the local biodiversity

Overview