EN 
PT_BR 
Imagine crops being grown in the same space as forests. To make it even more obvious, it could be a cornfield located in the shade of a Brazil nut tree, for example.
This combination of agricultural production with environmental preservation has been pointed out by climate experts and environmental activists as ideal for helping planet Earth recover from the damage caused by human activity, which is reflected in the climate in the form of extreme events such as torrential rains and droughts. This "marriage," which is actually a model of fair and sustainable land use, is called "agroforestry." This system, which seeks to optimize open land and transform monoculture techniques into biodiverse forests, is considered today one of the main bets for mitigating the effects of climate change on Earth.
Photo: Gabriel Faria
The proposal is for agriculture not based on pesticides and chemicals, but based on ecology itself, taking into account the existence of pests, but also the balance and logic of nature. Hence, the combination of smaller plants – such as food crops – with larger trees with deep roots, to provide shade and water whenever needed.
In response to this combination, there is a decrease in the emission of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere – the layer that protects the planet from solar radiation and helps to balance the temperature. CO₂ is a component of the gases that exacerbate the greenhouse effect, one of the causes of global warming. The math is simple – the more living trees, the more carbon is absorbed by the plants and the less harmful gas is released into the atmosphere.
Agroforestry
Moisés Savian, an agronomist and secretary at the Ministry of Agrarian Development, explained that the idea behind agroforestry is to act on two fronts: mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. “When I reduce carbon emissions, I am mitigating. If, for example, I have a sparse pasture and I create an agroforestry system, I will bring to the surface the excess carbon in the atmosphere (the carbon is absorbed by the plants). If I have a cornfield that doesn't survive long without rain – given the water crisis – and I combine this field with a forest, which provides shade and has deep roots, the corn will benefit from capturing water from a Brazil nut tree, for example,” he explains.
Savian also points out that the logic of agroforestry goes further by combining planetary issues with income generation and food production, a powerful tool against world hunger.
The idea of productive forests gained popularity in recent weeks during the plenary sessions and meetings of COP 30, held in Belém (PA). But this is the ancestral path that has been pointed out in recent years by climate experts, as climatologist Carlos Nobre has already stated. “Indigenous people arrived in the Amazon 12,000 to 14,000 years ago, and they have always used their knowledge very well for everything: for their health, for food, for transportation, for the products of biodiversity. Indigenous people used and still use more than 2,300 products of biodiversity, for example, 250 edible fruits, 1,450 medicinal plants. They learned to coexist very well with the forest,” he said.
Although it is an ancient technique, the Standing Forest, even in small steps, has been gaining ground among volunteers in Brazil and around the world.
Knowledge Exchange
In Botuporã, a city in Bahia with approximately 11,000 inhabitants and located about 700 kilometers from Salvador, an international cooperation project has encouraged residents and young leaders to understand the importance of uniting agriculture with ecology. The municipality is part of a consortium, initiated in 2021, with communities in France located in the Northern Alsace region.
According to the project's creator, Hervé Tritschberger, the mayor of the French city of Eschbach – which has fewer than a thousand inhabitants – the idea arose after discussions with the Botuporense city hall to promote farmers and rural producers and to train young volunteers to exchange knowledge about sustainability.
It was this international cooperation that, two years ago, led the young law student Yago Fagundes to an immersion in agroecology in France and, later, to its application in Brazil. “The experience in Brazil has been one of rural empowerment. We received, for example, French specialists who trained our farmers in the production of Tomme de Vache cheese (cow's milk cheese, in a free translation), using an ancient recipe in a sustainable way. In France, I experienced this practice firsthand, lived with farmers with the 'BIO' seal, and actively participated in the construction of living fences and planting projects in schools, crucial elements for biodiversity,” recalls Yago.
The 20-year-old student says that despite the language challenge, the international experience made him reflect on resilience, including in caring for the planet. “Agroecology is fundamental to combating climate change. It uses the network of volunteers to create international solidarity that strengthens the planet. It works by making the soil a carbon sink, increasing its organic matter and its capacity to retain water, which protects communities from droughts and extreme events,” he explains.
Conversely, two French volunteers spent eight months in Botuporã learning organic farming techniques. “Brazil and France don't have the same challenges, but we have the same goals, which is to work towards sustainable development. The paradox of European countries is that they don't want to produce food with pesticides, but they consume it through imports. Based on this exchange, it's necessary to rethink this validation and train farmers for this healthier and more sustainable method,” says the French mayor.
As a result of the experience, a book consolidating the main exchanges was published and made available free of charge. presented during the Our Future Festival, held earlier this month in Salvador.
Environmental and planetary awareness
Wylliam Torres is a fan of growing vegetables and legumes in his own backyard – Photo: Wylliam Torres/Press Release
The exchange of knowledge can go far beyond geographical borders, Brazil-France. It can be passed from father to son, between friends, from grandmother to grandson, as was the case with the socio-environmental journalist and science communicator Wylliam Torres.
A resident of Rio de Janeiro, he says he is a proponent of planting vegetables and legumes in his own backyard as a sustainable and healthy practice. “My first reference to agroecology was the backyard of my paternal grandparents when I was very young and, at that time, I had no idea of the precious resources within my reach, much less knew the term. Today, of course, I understand that agroecology goes far beyond pesticide-free food; it also encompasses the subjective aspects of our lives and the fertilizer of our roots: the territory, tradition, and ancestral wisdom,” he recounts.
Torres also says that his environmental stance reflects values such as responsible and collective environmental awareness, as well as socio-environmental justice. "It is on this path that I reclaim part of my history, my deep connection with nature, my sense of community, my need to fight for life on Earth and preserve it," he concludes.
Even in isolation, he understands that there is no magic formula for individually confronting the climate crisis. “When it comes to combating the effects of the climate crisis we are experiencing, there is no balance that dictates which action is most important in this process; after all, every action that aims to counter the exploitative logic of agribusiness is a revolutionary act. Therefore, any individual action that seeks to escape the logic of profit is always valid,” he concludes.
Examples from Brazil
Still closely following the outcome of COP 30, the Secretary of Land Governance and Territorial and Socio-environmental Development of the Ministry of Agrarian Development, Moisés Savian, states that the meeting has been a great opportunity to show the world what Brazil has been doing. “COP was very positive for Brazil; we presented our agenda for productive forests to the world. In addition to maintaining, we will expand the area of forest cover, generating income and food,” he says.
For him, it is essential to think about a food production system resilient to extreme weather events, such as droughts and extreme rainfall. “I think the future of Brazil lies in advancing resilient, low-carbon, biodiverse, agroecological agriculture in degraded areas. We have a lot of degraded land in Brazil. We have a lot of underutilized pastureland. These are areas that are not producing food and are not serving ecological purposes either. Incidentally, the government has been promoting the idea of productive agroforestry forests – advancing biodiverse production, agroforestry in these areas that have already been deforested, from a restoration perspective, but a productive restoration,” he says.
Savian also advocates for financial incentives from more developed countries and, domestically, agricultural credit to empower small farmers and rural producers to learn and use sustainable food production techniques. However, he draws attention to a still challenging point: winning over consumers' wallets and hearts. “Because today, many people are counting their money to get through the month. Some others can pay a little more for a differentiated product. We met with an international supermarket chain. And they are creating a shelf called 'forest products'. And what was the challenge they faced? Often, in the retail market, they need 30 days, 60 days to pay. The farmer can't wait that long. And this chain is making advance payments,” says Savian.
According to him, it is initiatives like this that can have a more significant effect – in addition to mobilizing the government and producers, which is to include the consumer market as a driving force behind the sustainable economy and production resulting from agroforestry.
For Savian, the Standing Forest can be part of the solution to the climate emergency the planet is experiencing. “I believe it’s this ‘little remedy’ that, along with forest restoration, combating deforestation, and more intensive livestock farming, can better utilize existing space without cutting down more trees. It’s not a medicine you can inject into your vein and have solved the problem overnight, but it’s a kind of homeopathic dose – taken in small amounts, but continuously,” he concludes.
