Environmental and Productive Sustainability in the Chaco

PROJECTSRound 2

May 11

Written By Asociación Argentina de Consorcios Regionales de Experimentación Agrícola (AACREA) • Asociación de la Cadena de la Soja Argentina (ACSOJA)

Tools for environmental and productive sustainability of soy crops in Argentina’s Chaco systems

Innovative and sustainable agricultural production models for the Gran Chaco region are the goals of this project, by the Argentine Association of Regional Agricultural Experimentation Consortia (AACREA), in partnership with the Argentine Association of the Soy Supply Chain (ACSOJA). Working with at least 100 farmers (preferably small and medium-sized) in an area of about 250 thousand hectares of the biome in Argentina, this initiative will establish and validate ecological intensification models for farmers to 1) maintain or increase their incomes; 2) reduce crop losses; 3) conserve natural areas on farms; 4) restore degraded soils and environments; and 5) apply environmental indicators, particularly for soil carbon and biodiversity.

The farmers selected for the project are members of AACREA and work in synergy, sharing knowledge and skills to improve technical, economic, and environmental results, with impacts throughout the region. The partnership with the Argentine Association of the Soy Supply Chain (ACSOJA) – with representatives from the areas of research, inputs, farming, commerce, processing, and services – will facilitate evaluations of ecological intensification models using a systemic approach, focused on economic, social, and environmental issues for the region's grain supply chain. Periodical technical updates and the publication of results and tools will make project data accessible to a broader network of stakeholders, with impacts on the entire agricultural ecosystem in Argentina.

The first stage of the project will identify soy production systems and agricultural management practices used in the Argentine Chaco, and the main gaps in the crop in the region will be charted. They will also gather information on soil biodiversity and on the carbon surface, as well as the area and state of conservation of natural areas, to determine a project baseline. Subsequent stages will assess tools and solutions needed to improve the performance of soy farmers who conserve natural resources in the region, using CREA's methodology for active and collective participation by farmers and consultants to make the best decisions.