Study points the way to sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America and the Caribbean

What motivates farmers, in the long term, to adopt sustainable practices are the positive results on their farmlands and the environment, which is of fundamental importance for the health of food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. This was demonstrated by a study carried out by researchers from several international organizations on the reasons that lead food producers to protect ecosystems and use their natural resources efficiently.

The work, in which 18 thousand academic publications were analyzed, was carried out by experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IPFRI), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO ), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the Group of Southern Producing Countries (GPS) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

Although in the short term economic benefits are the main incentive for the adoption of good practices, the situation changes when producers' motivations are evaluated over longer periods. In this case, producers tend to change their practices if they notice favorable consequences on their properties or the environment.

Sustainable practices reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment and increase its ability to adapt to climate change, which, in turn, contributes to reducing rural poverty and increasing levels of food security.

Among sustainable practices — indicate the authors — are crop rotation, polyculture systems, the use of cover crops, direct planting and reduced tillage systems, integrated pest management (IPM), agropastoral systems, sustainable agroforestry practices and precision agriculture, among others.

In this sense, the work indicates that new production models and a profound reform of agriculture and agri-food systems would be necessary if Latin America and the Caribbean want to take better advantage of the global technological transformation that is taking place in all sectors.

Therefore, to foster the growth of agri-food systems in the region, sustainable and integral models are needed, adjusted to local contexts and that promote integrated water and soil management to increase resilience, productivity and profitability.

The study, whose results were reported in an article published in the journal Nature Sustainability, was carried out thanks to the Ceres2030 (Sustainable Solutions to End Hunger) program, developed in cooperation with Cornell University, IFPRI and the International Institute for Development Sustainable, sponsored by BMZ (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The authors are: Valeria Piñeiro, from IFPRI; Joaquín Arias, from IICA; Pablo Elverdin, from GPS; Ana María Ibáñez, from the IDB; Cristian Morales Opazo, from FAO; Steve Prager, from CIAT; and Máximo Torero, from FAO.

The researchers compiled a set of guidelines that those responsible for formulating public policies and market actors should follow to promote sustainable agriculture.

These guidelines are based on detailed analysis of the literature on market and non-market incentives that lead to the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices that, in turn, bring about positive changes in the productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability of agricultural units.

Some of them are as follows: you must know the farmers you are trying to influence; instruments must be simple; complementary support should be provided, for example, technical assistance so that the adaptation of new agricultural practices is more accessible and sustainable; One must think about a long-term horizon, as a long time may pass before there are measurable economic and environmental effects.

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is fundamental for agri-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, due to their strategic contributions not only to the region's development objectives, but also, and significantly, to the world.

As the largest net exporter of food, the region plays a leading role in global supply and, therefore, in stabilizing international prices. But, in addition, Latin America and the Caribbean are the largest providers of ecosystem services on the planet and, therefore, their role is fundamental for environmental sustainability, climate stability and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Furthermore, food systems contribute to the generation of jobs and investments, as well as to economic activity in general.

However, food insecurity is rising in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the Covid-19 pandemic has increased poverty and inequality. Therefore, the study authors argue that it is necessary to implement a program based on science and evidence to formulate policies and evaluate agricultural interventions that can transform the lives and incomes of the poorest farmers in the hemisphere, the majority of whom are women, while preserving the environment.