Agreement promotes sustainable practices in coffee farming with benefits in rural insurance

Through a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the National Coffee Council (CNC) and the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) ProNatura Internacional, the project “Sustainable Brazilian Coffee Growing - Carbon Credit Compensation System in the Rural Insurance Policy in Brazil” begins to be developed. 

The proposal aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices in coffee production in Brazil, as well as integrate the carbon credit compensation system into the rural insurance policy as an incentive for producers to achieve socioeconomic and environmental benefits. 

This week, the first step towards implementing the project was taken. After analysis and on-site visits, the Cooperative of Coffee Growers of the Três Pontas Zone (Cocatrel), in Minas Gerais, was selected as the pilot for the proposal. The Secretary of Agricultural Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), Guilherme Campos, met with the president of the CNC, Silas Brasileiro, the executive president of ProNatura International, Marcelo de Andrade, the president of Cocatrel, Jacques Fagundes Miari, and the pro-rector of Research and Innovation of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Luis Roberto Batista, in addition to the coordinators of the ACT, João Nicanildo Bastos dos Santos (coordinator of Monitoring and Innovation in the Risk Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), Luiza Mantiça Kreimeier (technical advisor to the CNC), and Jose Rozinei da Silva (executive director of ProNatura), to detail the next steps for “Sustainable Brazilian Coffee Farming”. 

As foreseen in the project, based on the adoption of sustainable practices that reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, according to metrics to be established, Cocatrel cooperative producers will be able to use their carbon credits as a bonus on their rural insurance policy. The operation will be carried out in conjunction with international financial institutions. 

The cooperative was chosen after analyzing the profile of the producers. Cocatrel currently has around 8,5 members, of which approximately 80% operate on properties with areas between 5 and 12 hectares. 

Cooperative producers interested in joining the project must apply the practices established by the partner institutions. These are activities that are already carried out by coffee growers, such as green manure, using cover crops that prevent soil erosion, allow for greater water reserves and biodiversity, and increased use of organic compounds, among others. Based on the defined measurement methodology, carbon credits can be used to offset the value of the rural insurance policy. In addition to the benefit for small and medium-sized producers to have access to Rural Insurance, the measure also adds value to the product offered. 

Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world - responsible for around 38% of global production - and has the European Union, one of the most demanding consumer markets, as its main destination. 

For this first stage of the Sustainable Brazilian Coffee Growing project, the expectation is to cover an area of ​​60 thousand hectares. Cocatrel serves 125 municipalities. 

The project proposes to encourage sustainable agricultural practices, encouraging the adoption of cultivation techniques that minimize environmental impact and promote the preservation of natural resources; financial compensation of carbon credits through a system of generation and commercialization of credits for producers who adopt sustainable practices; reduction of carbon emissions in coffee production, implementing actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the coffee production process; and support for security and stability in the agricultural sector, ensuring the protection and financial viability of coffee producers through the integration of carbon credits into the rural insurance policy.