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Brazil Implemented the ABC Plan and Restored 26.8 Million Hectares of Degraded Pastures Using Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration, Direct Seeding and Soil Restoration That Increase Water Retention and Microbial Biodiversity.
The Brazil launched the ABC Plan — Low Carbon Agriculture in 2010 — becoming the first major emerging country to set explicit greenhouse gas mitigation targets in the agricultural sector. The initiative arose as a response to the huge environmental liabilities accumulated by Brazilian agribusiness, especially related to degraded pasture areas. It is estimated that the country has approximately 100 million hectares of degraded pastures, which is equivalent to about 57% of the existing pastures in the national territory. This set of areas represents the largest environmental liability of the Brazilian agribusiness sector and, at the same time, one of the biggest opportunities for productive and environmental recovery in global agriculture.
Degraded pastures are areas that have lost the capacity to sustain adequate biomass production and efficiently support livestock stocking rates. This process typically occurs due to poor soil management, prolonged overgrazing, lack of fertilization and absence of productive rotation. The result is compacted soil, active erosion, low water infiltration, and impoverished microbiomes, factors that reduce productivity and increase carbon emissions.
The ABC Plan was designed specifically to reverse this scenario through the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies capable of restoring soil fertility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Pasture Recovery Exceeds Goals and Reaches 26.8 Million Hectares Restored
Between 2010 and 2018, the implementation of policies outlined in the ABC Plan allowed the recovery of approximately 26.8 million hectares of degraded areas, a number that surpassed the original goal established for the period by 179%.
The initial goal aimed to recover 15 million hectares by 2020. The results demonstrated the viability of productive recovery of large areas of degraded land when combined with targeted rural credit and the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies.
The program focused investments on seven main technologies:
- recovery of degraded pastures
- direct seeding system
- crop-livestock-forest integration
- biological nitrogen fixation
- planted forests
- animal waste treatment
- adaptation of agricultural production to climate change
The recovery of pastures was responsible for about 51% of the contracted resources, while the direct seeding system accounted for approximately 30% of the investments.
In total, the financings linked to the program amounted to about US$ 5.96 billion between 2013 and 2021, allowing low carbon agricultural technologies to be implemented on approximately 39 million hectares.
According to estimates from the Brazilian government, these practices resulted in a potential reduction of 193.67 million tons of CO₂ equivalent between 2010 and 2020, reinforcing the role of the agricultural sector in mitigating climate change.
Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration Rapidly Expands and Reaches Over 17 Million Hectares
Among the technologies promoted by the ABC Plan, one of the most important is the Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration (CLFI). This productive system combines different agricultural activities in the same area through rotation, consortium, or succession of crops.
The CLFI allows the integration of agricultural production, cattle raising, and tree planting, creating ecological and productive synergies that increase land use efficiency.
Between 2015 and 2020, the area occupied by integrated systems grew rapidly in Brazil. The estimated area increased from about 11.5 million hectares to between 15 and 17.4 million hectares in 2020.
The states with the highest adoption of this model include Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul.
There are four main modes of productive integration:
- crop-livestock (agropastoral)
- crop-livestock-forest (agrosilvopastoral)
- livestock-forest (silvopastoral)
- crop-forest (silvoagricultural)
Between 2010 and 2015, about 5.96 million hectares managed under CLFI sequestered approximately 21.8 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, a value comparable to removing 4.7 million cars from the roads for a year.
Direct Seeding System Already Covers Over 40 Million Hectares in Brazil
Another central technology of the ABC Plan is the direct seeding system. In this agricultural model, the soil is not plowed or tilled, remaining protected by a layer of plant residues known as mulch.
Currently, the system covers over 40 million hectares in Brazil, representing more than 60% of the total area allocated to grain production.
The technique began to be developed in the southern region of the country in the 1970s and 1980s in response to the rapid degradation of agricultural soils caused by intensive mechanization.
Direct seeding requires crop rotation and constant maintenance of plant cover. In Brazil, forage grasses like Brachiaria have become essential in this system due to their ability to produce a large volume of biomass.
These plants are used both as feed for cattle and as protective cover for the soil during the interval between crops.
Soil Recovery Can Increase Water Retention by Up to 2.5 Times
The restoration of degraded soils has direct effects on water retention capacity and the resilience of crops in the face of drought periods.
Experiments show that soils enriched with organic matter can significantly increase their ability to store water. A classic study showed that the incorporation of 7.6 centimeters of organic compost at 15 centimeters deep increased water retention by 2.5 times compared to degraded sandy soils.
Soils with 4% organic matter can retain more than double the water compared to soils with only 1%. This happens because organic matter has charged particles that attract water molecules through electrostatic forces.
On average, each 1% increase in organic matter content can allow the soil to store up to 20,000 additional gallons of water per acre. This effect reduces surface runoff, decreases erosion, improves infiltration, and increases the water recharge of agricultural systems.
Restored Soil Microbiome Can Host Up to 10,000 Species per Gram
The recovery of soil also restores one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet: the soil microbiome. A healthy soil can contain up to 10 billion microbial cells and around 10,000 different species in just one gram of soil. This diversity is essential for maintaining the biogeochemical cycles that sustain soil fertility.
Microorganisms perform fundamental functions, including:
- nutrient recycling
- biological nitrogen fixation
- production of phytohormones
- decomposition of organic matter
- disease suppression
- increasing plant resistance to water stress
Studies conducted in the Amazon indicate that deforestation can reduce more than 60% of soil microbial diversity, compromising the health of the agricultural ecosystem.
Pasture Recovery Can Prevent Agricultural Frontier Expansion
Recovering degraded areas can also reduce the need for agricultural expansion over natural areas.
Estimates indicate that recovering 12 million hectares of degraded pastures could generate additional production equivalent to 17.7 million cattle, without the need to open new areas.
Moreover, only about 1% of Brazilian municipalities concentrate approximately 25% of the degraded pastures, which facilitates the targeting of public policies, technical assistance, and rural credit.
ABC+ Plan Expands Goals and Seeks to Restore More Than 70 Million Hectares by 2030
In 2021 the Brazilian government launched a new phase of the program, called the ABC+ Plan. The objective is to significantly expand the goals for environmental recovery and sustainable productive intensification.
Among the established goals by 2030 are:
- recovering 30 million hectares of degraded pastures
- implementing 10 million hectares of integrated systems
- expanding direct seeding by an additional 12.58 million hectares
- increasing planted forests by 4 million hectares
- adopting bioinputs on 13 million hectares
- installing irrigated systems on 3 million hectares
In total, the plan aims to reach 72.68 million hectares with low carbon agriculture technologies by 2030.
Brazilian Low Carbon Agriculture Becomes International Reference
The Brazilian low carbon agriculture model has attracted international attention. The country joined the 20×20 Initiative in 2016, committing to restore 22 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
Part of this commitment will be met through the National Native Vegetation Recovery Plan (Planaveg), which aims to restore 12 million hectares through reforestation and natural regeneration. The remaining 10 million hectares should be recovered through the agricultural technologies of the ABC Plan, including integrated systems and pasture recovery.
The financing of these initiatives involves public resources, national banks, multilateral institutions, and international funds aimed at environmental conservation.
Sustainable Intensification Shows It Is Possible to Produce More Without Deforestation
The Brazilian experience demonstrates that it is possible to increase agro-industrial production without expanding agricultural land. Between 2000 and 2013, the country’s agricultural productivity grew 105.6%, driven by technological innovation and improved agricultural practices.
During the same period, livestock productivity increased 172%, while the total area of pastures decreased by about 16%.
These results indicate that technologies such as CLFI, direct seeding, and restoration of degraded pastures can enable Brazil to continue expanding its agricultural production without significantly increasing pressure on natural ecosystems.
The recovery of degraded soils transforms one of the largest environmental liabilities of Brazilian agribusiness into one of the main climate opportunities in global agriculture.
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