No-till Farmer Groups
in
South America
How & why they work?
BASE-UK AGM
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
28th February 2013
John Geraghty
Climate
Change
Greenhouse Gases
N2O Emissions
Flooding and Drought
CO2 Emissions
Oxygen
O2
Irrigation
Fertilisers &
Fossil Fuel Inputs
Organic
Matter
START
Good Yields
2
Extra Costs
Soil Carbon for Nutrient Cycling
N
C
K
Mg
Zn
Cl
P
Ca
Carbon is crucial
for all Soil
Physical, Chemical, &
S
Mn
Bo
Biological processes
climate, soil type, production system, rotations, cover crops,
fertility, organic manures, variety, inputs, irrigation etc.
Credit: Reicosky 2005
Oct sown min till
Ploughed and sown
Oct sown min till
Ploughed and sown
Minimal Soil Disturbance
• Mouldboard ploughing, disc ploughing
• Non-inversion tillage, chisel ploughing
• Reduced tillage
• Conservation, minimum and mulch tillage
• Direct drilling, direct seeding, strip tillage
• No tillage, no-till, Zero tillage, zero-till
Reduced soil exposure
Increasing soil disturbance
Much international confusion over terms used
US
Ar
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5,000
5,000
0
4,
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0
7106
60
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16
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30
0
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8
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2,
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3,
10
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20,000
20,000
16
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17
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25
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26
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5 ,,5
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53
25,000
25,000
4,
50
0
'000Hectares
Hectares
'000
Global Adoption of CA/No-tillage
30,000
30,000
Total: 127.9 Million Ha
15,000
15,000
10,000
10,000
0
Source: FAO, 2013
Energy Consumption in Agriculture
Source: UNEP, 2012
Rate of no-till adoption in Brazil
18
16
14
10
1990 - 1 Million ha
8
6
4
2
00
/0
1
98
/9
9
96
/9
7
94
/9
5
92
/9
3
90
/9
1
88
/8
9
86
/8
7
84
/8
5
82
/8
3
80
/8
1
78
/7
9
76
/7
7
74
/7
5
0
72
/7
3
Million Hectares
12
Source: EMATER RS, EPAGRI-SC, EMATER-PR, CATI-SP, FUNDAÇÃO MS, APDC(CERRADO)
Brazil - Grain Production 1991-2004
Source: COOPLANTIO-CONAB (2005)
Clubes Amigos da Terra (CATs)
• First farmer club ~ ‘The Earthworm Club’ ~
started in 1979 in Paraná state
• Pioneering NT farmers main stakeholders
• Became model for future CATs in Brazil
e.g. in Rio Grande du Sul
• Very effective in promoting CA systems
• Raising level of NT achievements among
farmer members
Critical factors for success of CATs
• Finding the right leadership is crucial
• Officer roles – 2 to 4 years maximum
• CAT President needs spare time
• CAT Secretary – not a farmer ~ extension
officer, consultant (… payment ??)
• More regular meetings with group evolution
• Equal emphasis on mistakes, successes and
problems
Critical factors for failure of CATs
• Weak or poor leadership
• Some CATs set up buying pools … often led
to group collapse
• Commercial interests/slant developing in
groups was detrimental
• No group evolution
– development of focus areas
- technology adoption & adjustment
- advanced management methods
Group Development Phases
Adoption
Consolidation
Mature
Awareness &
motivation events
Technical Seminars
Rural Appraisal
Workshops
Informal exchange
of experiences
Farm visits for
members
Machinery clinics
for beginners
Farmer & guest
Farmer & guest
presentations
presentations
Open field days for Organisation of ZT
all farmers
events
Testing of drills
Performance
planters and
monitoring and
seeders
financial analysis
On-farm testing of Technology testing
new technology
& research liaison
On-farm
demonstrations
Technical Training
for farm managers
Specialization
courses for
managers
Advanced Crop
Livestock
Management
Essential Characteristics of CATs
• Non-profit; Non commercial; Non political
• Promotion & development of Zero-tillage !!
• Sustainable farming/focus on environment
• No commercial involvement
• Commercial support – no strings attached!
• Affiliation to NGOs such as:
Association for Zero-till Farmers in the Cerrado (APDC)
National Federation for Zero Tillage into Crop Residues
(FEBRAPDP)
NB – Technical Reference Guides
1993 – Herbicides - Field Manual
Included farmer practice & company recommendations
Not updated after initial publication – big mistake
1996 – Quarterly Technical Newsletter
Circulation of 6,000 sent to farmer group members
1997 – The Environment and Zero Tillage
Great resource to promote Zero tillage among farmers
and agri-industry; 10,000 copies printed
Financial Analysis – Plough v’s Zero-till
Baseline Scenario
% RoI
1. Conventional Tillage
5.3
2. Zero Tillage
15.1
Sensitivity factors
+ 2% increase on yield
- 20% phosphate fertilizer
15.75
17.44
+ $25 US profit on second crop
- 5% machinery operating costs
- 33% lime usage
24.89
25.66
26.83
- 1% on soil erosion control
27.22
Source: Landers et al 1994
Long term yields in No-tillage
10,000
9,000
Corn - 30% less fertilizer
8,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
Soya - 50% less fertilizer
2,000
1,000
19
97
19
95
19
93
19
91
19
89
19
87
19
85
19
83
19
81
19
79
0
19
77
Yield Kg/Hectare
7,000
Source: Dijkstra, Ponta Grossa, Brazil 1998
Rate of no-till adoption in Argentina
18
16
14
10
1994 - 1 Million ha
8
6
4
2
20
04
20
02
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
0
19
78
Million Hectares
12
Source: AAPRESID 2008
Argentina- Grain production 1988-2001
80
Total Production
Total Cropped Area
70
Poly. (Total Production)
Linear (Total Cropped Area)
50
40
30
20
10
20
01
20
00
19
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
19
93
19
92
19
91
19
90
19
89
0
19
88
Million Tonnes
60
Source: Peiretti, 2002
Argentine Association for No-tillage
• AAPRESID – No-till association
• Founded in 1988
• By mid 2,000s they had 1,800 members and 23
active farmer groups – ongoing struggle
• Big problem with scornful establishment –
senior researchers and agronomists alike
• Now funded through membership subscription
with significant corporate sponsorship
• Influential organisation
AAPRESID - Impressions
“very commercial organisation;
concerned only with large scale
operators & big machines; too
much involvement from agribusiness;
charge for every single event
and publication.”
CREA Movement
• Model adopted from France in the 1950s by
Paulo Hary
• Successful sixty year history
• Today 190 groups – normally up to 15 farmer
members
• Proved extremely difficult to organise,
develop and manage in Argentina
• Openness and co-operative spirit needed – not
natural attributes of Argentines
CREA
• Farmer/producer discussion and ‘action’ group
• Normally 10-12 farmer members *
• One paid facilitator or consultant for the group
Mechanics
• All financial & technical information ceded to
facilitator
• All members visit one farm/month
• Review, analyse and assess farm operation &
performance
• Remedial actions agreed & enacted
ACCREA
• National movement of all CREA groups
• Funded by groups monthly contributions of
$500-2,500
• Funded also by corporate sponsorship and
fees for research consultancy
• Annual Conference – 2,000 delegates –
international focus
The People – and what they said
“It was farmers that
“Most
today
developed
this system
–
“If you had no subsidies
in researchers
are no more
researchers
and than
Europe farmers would be
forced
specialised
consultants
hadidiots”
no option
to change to CA for economic
Herbert Bartz
are
reasons alone”but to follow. Farmers
still leading
Patrick
Wall the way.”
Sebastian Lahore
“Farmers in the
red cannot look
after the green”
Farmer quote to JL
Organogram of Zero Tillage NGOs in Brazil and the Americas
CAAPAS
International
National
AAPRESID
(Argentina)
FEPASIDIAS
(Paraguai)
SOCOSCHI
(Chile)
FEBRAPDP
(Brasil)
AISUD
(Uruguai)
AMIC
(Mexico)
ANAPO
(Bolivia)
CTIC
(USA)
Regional
State
&
Federal Government
Local
State
Associations
APDC
CATs
&
Similar NGO’s
Agribusiness
Foundations
&
Universities
European Conservation Agriculture
Federation - ECAF
ECAF – National Associations
• Many NAs are struggling
• Issues of funding, farmer governance and
participation
• FRDK in Denmark doing well – good farmer
participation
• Others have state funding to assist with
administration
• Potentially a rich resource for exchange of
experiences and expertise
Conservation Agriculture Ireland
• CAIR founded in 2002 by group of Irish
farmers and Monsanto
• Has struggled throughout its existence
• Funded solely by member subscription (€30)
• Never clear on its remit:– Promotion?
Education? Training? Research? Lobbying?
we tried to be all things to all people …
• Lacked farmer leadership & participation … no
evolution
CAP Reforms 2014-2020
• Strong lobby for CA in current reforms
• CA – Pillar 1 as a Greening measure
• Minimal soil disturbance + soil cover
• FAO definition being proposed ……
• Needs to be 100% verifiable before
inclusion
Zero-tillage is a Gateway
Focused Environmental Awareness
Individual and Community Actions
Positive effect on Natural Resources
Food
Security
Sustainable
Natural
Resources
Higher Farm
Income
Stable
Supplies
No environmental
Degradation
Better Quality
of Life
Thank You
geraghtyconsulting.ie
GeraghtyConsulting
@Geraghty_Notill
Rate of no-till adoption in Paraguay
2.0
1.8
2001 - 1 Million ha
1.6
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
19
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
0.0
19
93
Million Hectares
1.4
Source: Derpsch, 2005