An Overview Of Our Solution
Research and Implementation, by Embrapa Temperate Agriculture and partners, a set of practices aimed at identifying and characterizing Farmers guardians of agrobiodiversity (farmers who maintain the diversity of traditional varieties). Once the identity of the guardian was known, it was possible to valorize them and to gather subsidies for the implementation of public policies aimed at stimulating not only the guardians but also the young people, through the promotion of the conservation of the agrobiodiversity carried out by them. Since 2010 about 200 farmers characterized as Guardians of Agrobiodiversity were identified and empowered through the realization of the seminars(7), one of them international; about 70 seed fairs; five centers of formation of junior guardians; twelve nuclei of seed guardians in several regions of the state.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: South America
General Information
Organization type
Gubernamental
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Population impacted
above 500.000 families
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
ex. 1.500.000 ha
Production quantity
ex. 3.000.000 t
People employed
above 100.000 families
Solution
Describe your solution
Identification, valorization and empowerment of farmers characterized as Guardians of Agrobiodiversity.
Sensitization and training of children (Guardians of Agrobiodiversity Junior).
Encouragement to organized farmers’ Guardian of Agrobiodiversity groups where knowledge and, especially, seeds and their cultural traditions, could be shared.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
First, in 2007, Embrapa organized preparatory meetings to characterize the farmers who have the daily practice of the conservation of traditional varieties. After that, in 2010, at the Embrapa Clima Temperado Lowland Station, a pioneering meeting was held bringing together representatives of these farmers, among them the Cooperativa Coonaterra / Bionatur, the Small Farmers' Movement (MPA) and the Union of Community Associations of the Interior of Canguçu (UNAIC). After a preliminary conceptual formulation, preceded by discussions that involved controversial situations due to the need to distinguish the farmer maintainer of traditional varieties of farmers who grow their varieties without this purpose, the suggestion of the term "Guardians of traditional (Creole, landrace) seeds" was adopted.
To better understanding the reality lived by these farmers, the technicians and researchers studied the elements to build “the nature” of the guardian of traditional seeds.
In the next phase, the process of empowerment of the guardians was begun, with Agrobiodiversity and Food Security Seminar being held annually at Embrapa Clima Temperado, in Pelotas, RS. The Seminar was designed aiming to make possible to access the needs of the Guardians of Biodiversity farmers and permit the mutual exchange of ideas and knowledge among themselves and with researchers, students, technical assistance agents, and other individuals pertaining to the agricultural universe. The starting occurred in 2010. Since then, many scholars from diverse fields of interest for seed guardians delivered their knowledge and seed guardians from different ethnic groups, like indigenous and ‘quilombolas’ (from African origin) were able to present their cultural richness as related to the Creole seeds. Students from rural schools also participated in the Seminars, which provided awareness and training of junior guardians.
External connections
The team comprises 10 researchers, breeders and specialist in seed technology, technology transfer, genetic resources and food chemistry; Scholarship holders to varying degrees (about eight at undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels); Technicians of the rural extension; teachers from rural schools, and employees from Embrapa's staff. There are two greenhouses for seed multiplication and an auditorium for the annual seminar. The other facilities for the meetings and Fairs are the responsibility of the local farmers' organizations, always with the support of Embrapa and Emater and, eventually, also the Municipality. The travel expenses of farmers to participate of the events, are invariably supported by public entities such as the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply. Partners:UNAIC (Union of Community Associations of the Interior of Canguçu), COOPERAL (Seventy Regional Cooperative.),COOPAR (Small Farmers' Cooperative of the Southern egion),COOAFAN (Nortense Family Farmers' Cooperative),MPA (Small Farmers Movement),COONATERRA (Cooperativa groecológica Nacional Terra e Vida) -Bionatur,City of Rio Grande, AGABIO (Tenente Portela Biodiversity Guardians Association), Emater / RS,MAPA - Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply,MDA - Ministry of Agrarian Development,IRGA (Riograndense Institute of Rice), UFPEL (Federal University of Pelotas) and UFSM (Federal University of Santa Maria)
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
Genetic erosion - the loss of components of the agrobiodiversity and the cultural values of agricultural communities, is a concrete event, reported by most of the world organizations dealing with the future of the planet. Causes for its appearance are, mainly, the abandonment of traditional varieties cultivated by farmers (landraces) in favor of modern varieties developed by research institutions, which result in lowering genetic variability, and the adverse effects of the Climate changes. The important consequence from this fact resides on the loss of resilience capability of the ecosystems with direct negative reflect on the future of food and agriculture strength to overcome the problems that will surge from the mentioned changes in climate. From this picture, there will succeed food shortages which might impose social disturbances.
Describe the context in which you are operating
The Temperate Agricultural Research Center is a unit of Embrapa, with a long history of research for the temperate Brazilian region. Since 1974 researchers from the most diverse areas have been generating technologies for the South region of the country (mainly in Rio Grande do Sul state). It develops activities in the areas of natural resources, environment, grains, fruit growing, oleraceous, livestock systems with emphasis on livestock and family based agriculture.
The socioeconomic importance of the temperate region is expressed by a high contribution to national agricultural production. In this area, half of Brazilian grain production is located, the fourth part of what Brazil produces in meat, milk and vegetables, as well as more than 80% of the national production of temperate fruits, as well as housing one of the largest Agroindustrial parks installed in the country.
According to the Farming Census of 2006 from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Rio Grande do Sul State has 378 546 small properties, that cover about 6 Mi ha. The Embrapa Temperate Agricultural Center has been working with the farmers characterized as Guardians of Agrobiodiversity in this region since 2007.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Different mechanisms have been used in conservation and, simultaneously, in the expansion of agrobiodiversity. The first of these is the encouragement and support to the realization of regional and local fairs of creole (landrace) seed exchanges. Among them, more than 20 fairs have been held annually, and in the second half of 2015 alone, nine new ones were created, many of them inspired by the Agrobiodiversity and Food Safety Seminars. Another mechanism is the Biodiversity Scores - PBios, instituted in 2007, which are collections of creole varieties that are distributed to groups of farmers for evaluation, selection and use. Exemplifying, with common bean alone, more than 200 PBios have already been distributed, comprising more than 150 traditional varieties being distributed. From these collections, numerous varieties have already been selected for use by farmers, thus guaranteeing their preservation, with, in many cases, increasing the genetic diversity of these crops, consequently reducing their vulnerability.
Language(s)
Portuguese and Spanish
Water
Farmers characterized as guardians keep seeds and seedlings in permanent evolution and therefore more adapted to the climatic conditions where their community is. If it is in a region that has problems with dry weather, they have, of course, selected materials that will need less irrigation water. In this way, the work carried out by farmers characterized as guardians will be an instrument for saving and better water management.
Food Security/Nutrition
Farmers characterized as guardians know the good time to sow each year. By producing their own seeds, they can also use the seeds at the right time, increasing the chances of more productive crops. As they grow with more diverse seeds, they have also increased harvest and food security.
Economic/Sustainable Development
Farmers characterized as agrobiodiversity guardians cultivate diverse fields that have more resilient plants, thus requiring less inputs (pesticides and fertilizers) to ensure a good harvest. Seed fairs allow the exchange of seeds and experiences among farmers that also contribute to sustainability
Climate
Farmers characterized as agrobiodiversity keepers, are usually on small farms, maintaining traditional farming practices with low fossil fuel use, using ancestral practices that reduce the use of external inputs..
Sustainability
The farmers start holding seeds of distinct varieties for own use, becoming independent from external seeds. Also, increase in genetic diversity means lower vulnerability for the agricultural environment, also representing a save from use of other external inputs. This signifies an advance in sustainability, both economic and environmental. The meetings that brought together the farmers, it was necessary financial support for travelling, food and sleeping. After the initial Seminars, from the consciousness acquired by the farmers on the important role they play and the favorable perspective they have from their Creole germplasm, the actions become of own responsibility.
Return on investment
Research and development projects of Embrapa gave a total amount around US$ 195,000.00 for three years, about 15% have been used to finance each group of three Seminars. Traveling by Embrapa researchers have reached additional 1% annually. Transportation, feeding and sleeping cost for farmers attending the Seminars have been around US$ 6,200.00 annually. Comparison under a cost-benefit ratio, reveals that investment is very low when the richness in terms of environmental gain is considered and when new sources of food have been incorporated both in terms of nutrition quality with reflexes on human health, as well as of economic gains also are considered.
Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
As described above, from the first Seminar, in 2010, to the one in 2015, the number of farmers attending the event grew from around 100 people to close to 600. It means that there was a gradual development of the idea of conserving, using and making more variable the agroecosystem, and, mainly, in building alliances with other farmers. At this moment, the solution has been extended to communities located all over Rio Grande do Sul State, which comprehends an area above 6 MI ha. As such, it can be expected that similar approaches can be directed to similar realities with expected similar results. In our environment, a crucial role has been played by the extension service, since it is from it that we, as a research institution, were able to locate the guardians of Biodiversity. The knowledge on genetic resources by academic people engaged in projects like this is also relevant to attaining similar results.