Farmer Engagement

Round 1PROJECTS

Sep 15

Written By AIBA

FARMER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Project pathways.png — **PATHWAYS**

pathways

**LOCATION**

Western Bahia, Matopiba, Brazil

AIBA, the largest farmers' association in Bahia - together with its Institute – has coordinated field and communication activities for projects led by the Western Bahia Innovation and Sustainability Program: the Land Use and Monitoring System (SIMA), with Senai Cimatec and a contribution from the Solidaridad Foundation; the Innovative Solutions Laboratory (AIBA LAB), with Senai Cimatec; and the Carbon Calculator, with the Solidaridad Foundation. In all these initiatives, the association helped to identify, engage and train local farmers to adopt best agricultural practices for sustainable development.

AIBA has been a channel for communication and exchanging knowledge among researchers, entrepreneurs and farmers, connecting academics, entrepreneurs and farmers in the quest for innovative solutions for sustainable agricultural development. More than 230 farmers and over 40 institutions in the region have joined the projects supported by the Fund, including universities, cooperatives, trade associations and public and private sector institutions.

Since the start of the project, Aiba has produced a series of audio programs, entitled AgroSustentável, to air on Spotify, YouTube and local radio stations, as well as 25 videos on various topics, from technology to the carbon market, highlighting a series with testimonials from farmers who arrived in the region in the 1980s, started growing grain and transformed the development of western Bahia (Histórias do Agro).

Photo Credit: AIBA Archive

The association also organized more than 20 face-to-face and online events, held a series of mentoring sessions, workshops and field trips, launched a website on local sustainability projects, and published more than ten articles in its magazines and newspapers. These activities increased AIBA's visibility in the press, with the publication of major articles in regional and national media, and reached more than 300,000 people.

Learn more about the initiatives:

AIBA LAB: With events organized in three cycles throughout the second semester of 2021, AIBA LAB attracted more than 80 participants from 16 Brazilian states, with 110 hours of business mentoring and 14 online meetings with experts and participants to chart and comprehend demands, challenges and opportunities for sustainable agricultural development in Western Bahia. In addition to helping coordinate a virtual contest, AIBA also produced an eBook about the initiative, with the history and lessons learned through the innovation lab, and the legacy of technological solutions selected for the region.

SIMA: Responsible for involving farmers and gathering technical and field data to develop the Territorial Intelligence and Environmental Monitoring System for Western Bahia (SIMA), developed by Senai Cimatec, AIBA also managed the source code and open-system distribution of this digital platform. By December 2023, the association’s actions had brought 160 farmers and more than 600 farms into the system, gathering territorial and environmental data on more than 800,000 hectares of land.

Carbon calculator: Together with the Solidaridad Foundation, AIBA helped identify, involve and train local landowners to adopt best practices for the development of a carbon calculator. During the project, 129 farmers from 58 farms covering 323,000 hectares supported by the Association, used the calculator to measure the carbon balance of their soy plantations. As part of the SIMA system, the calculator gives a picture of a farm's carbon balance and helps with sustainable farm management.

Legacy: Initiatives coordinated by AIBA and the AIBA Institute have made the association a benchmark for projects combining innovation and sustainability for sustainable agricultural development. Since the launch of the Innovation and Sustainability Program in Western Bahia, the association has been invited to coordinate seven other green initiatives in the region, such as hosting the AgroNordeste Digital workshop, promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) and the Federal Superintendence of Agriculture in Bahia (SFA/BA).

Another important strategic alliance for AIBA has been with the Treevia/GSS Carbon and Bioinnovation consortium, the Fund's partners in developing the Arbaro Carbon nature-based solutions platform. With the Association's support, seven farms in the region, covering nearly 6,000 hectares, will take part in a pilot carbon measurement project in conserved areas, with end-to-end monitoring by Arbaro Carbon.

"These initiatives in western Bahia supported by the Land Innovation Fund have promoted rural-urban interactions and made innovation a pillar of sustainability for agribusiness. Partnerships with major institutions have laid the ground for sustainability in our state, structured around territorial management, participation and new agricultural practices." – Enéas Porto, sustainability director.