The Needed Conceptual and Operative Evolution of the Global Agro-Productive System

The Needed Conceptual and Operative

Evolution of the Global Agro-Productive

System

“From the analysis of the challenge to a solution of it”

Rosario, Argentina, Mercosoja 2011

Ing. Agr. Ms. of Sc. Roberto A. PeirettiMiembro CD de AAPRESID – Ex Presidente de CAAPAS

[email protected]

The Global Human Population Growth

It moved from 8 millons to one Billion of Persons in 97 CENTURIES but from 6

to 7 billions (one billion increase) in only 13 years. Such a growth

peace transformed the demand growth for AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ¡¡

Brief consideration of the Demand Growth

for Agricultural Products

A high proportion of the nowadays human population if reflected in this picture ¡¡

As soon as these persons improve their incomes, they automatically migrate to

higher protein consumption what in everyday reality MEANS …..

….a migration of the consunption from rice (hydrocarbons) to

hamburgers (proteins) ¡¡

Source Pict Lester R Brown

WorldWatch Institute

This behavior (absolutely hamanitarian, understandable and even absolutelly

desirable) the trend followed in the past and projected for the near future, can be

clearly seen

Per cápita indexes 2006=100

Fuente : FAO, USDA y Goldman & Sachs Commodities Research - Gentileza de NOVITAS S.A. www.novitas.com.ar

While considering the percapita consumption of grains, feeds proteins ( to produce animal proteins

basically), the sceanrio pointed in the two previous slides, can be clearly seen. To this demands, latelly,

a new one originated on the biofuels production shows up very strongly.

Brief analysis of the past evolution of the

agricultral supply (last forty years) and

consideration of the future projection of it.

THE PASTDuring the last 40 years, the supply was able to follow (satisfy) the demand by a mechanism

into which mostly the demand tractions the supply and not the other way.

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PRODUCCION

CONSUMO

CEREALES: DIFERENCIAS ENTRE LA PRODUCCION

Y EL CONSUMO MUNDIAL

Fuente: USDA, Junio 2007

Nóvitas S.A.

THE FUTURE

During the present century the population may raise up to 9 to 10

billions persons. Also the estimations are saying that for the same

period we may need somewhere double the actual agricultural

outputs ¡¡

We will have to move from more than two billions tons of grains to

around four billions which approximatelly means to double the

volume of the actual production¡¡

Been fully aware of this realities and projections and also with an extremely high level of commitment

assumed in front of such a challenge, Dr. Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace prize 1970 stated what he

named “The greater human challenge for the XXI century”

Source: Roberto Peiretti 2005

“We ought to develop the capacity to satisfy

human demands for agricultural outputs

(basically food for humans) and at the same time

achieving the goal in such a way that we can

keep the resources needed to produce them in

good shape”

Source: Dr. N Borlaug Personal Communication

2005

For the past 10.000 years –since the origin of agriculture- the process was based in what we can call the

“Tillage Paradigm”. Even this paradigm was useful to feed humanity for 100 centuries (which is is not

a minor merit, asset and extremely relevant achievement), its utilization also caused strong negative

impacts and externalities that we must learn how to avoid in the future…..

Source: Roberto Peiretti-AAPRESID 2011

Considering the already achieved level of

knowledge and degree of development in practice

of the No Till System in certain parts of the world,

it becomen not easy to accept than 90 % of the

global agriculture nowadays kept pillared on the

old and already obsolete “Tillage Paradigm” which

endeed is the main factor and carries the largest

responsability for the erosion and degradation that

the soils in particular and the agro-ecosystems in

general keep suffering at the present as we will be

able to observe on next pictures …..

EE UU de Norte América

Pict Credit to Dr. Donald Reicosky USA

Europa 2009 ¡¡

Pict Credit to Dr Gottlieb Basch ECAF

Water Soil Erosion

mainly originated by soil tillage

Water Soil Erosion

mainly originated by soil tillage

Picts credit to Luis Cubilas y Erni Schlindwein

Picts credit to Luis Cubilas y Erni Schlindwein

Wind Soil Erosion caused by tillage

Wind Soil Erosion caused by tillage

EEUU South Dakota 1934

Year 2002 With this attitudes,

human been looks like

kicking not only two

times (but several times)

the same stone”

En cases like those we just considered, 10 to 50 tons of

soils (or even more) are lost per each ton of grain

produced.

ENDEED A COST that humanity can not

keep paying any longer¡¡¡

If from now in more the INTELLIGENCE AND

COMMON SENCE WILL BE OUR ROAD MARKS AT

DEVELOPING THE AGRICULTURAL PROCESS..

…… WE WILL OUGHT TO INMEDIATELLY

CHANGE THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND AND CARRY

OUT THE AGRICULTRAL PROCESS AND

MANAGEMENT OF OUR AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS ¡¡

…hence we can ask oursekves …….

…… how are going to proceed to enlarge the

agricultural production in a sustainable

fashion and in a sufficient magnitude to be

able to properly provide and satisfy the

future human demand ??

To achieve this goal, first of all we ought to abandon

the agricultural model based on tillage and also

find a proper combination between the only two

mechanisms so far known to enlarge the

agricultral production and global supply of

agricultral products ….

namelly …

To enlarge producivity and/or …

..to move and expand the agricultural boundaries….

Related to this issues what are telling us the analysis of the past and

the projections for the future ….?

The enlargement of total production by means of the productivity growth ( achieved within

a sustainable frame), undoubtedly must be the road to follow prioritizing it as much as

possible because …..

… the lower the need to

expand into new area and

natural forests that we like to

keep as much as possible after

feeding humanity ¡¡¡

…. The higher the productivity achieved in a

sustainable fashion at managing the

agro-ecosystems in use ….

Fuente: Roberto Peiretti 2011

Unfortunatelly and frequently due to a lack of a proper level of

comprehension, consideration and understanding of the global scenario

and human needs so far analyzed and discussed, the real and true

possibility of improve and enlarge the gloal agricultural production

provision obtained by applying the

New Agricultral Model based on the Maximun Possible Increase of a

Sustainable production and productivity.

Some examples of this miscomprehension and undesirable behaviours and

rules are: ….

1.)The“Precautionary Principle implemented by the EU”. Because of this,

GMO´s are strognly restricted and also trade barriers and limitations are

imposed. 2.) Subsidization policies also harm the global production and

trade by distorting the markets. 3.) Non appropriate consumers education

about the true and real limitations of the gloobal agricultural system.

Based on miths and even “seen ghosts”, frequently they impose “their

concerns” by imposing their wishes to the retailors that in turn press over

the producers (and pretend to oblige) to follow even “nonsense and

unreallistic protocols” to the production and trade process. These

attitudes must be changed if we are to succeed at achieving the absolutelly

needed improvement and evolution of the global farming system ¡¡¡

No Till, MOSHPPA (Modern Sustainable Highly

Productive and Profitable Agricultural Model), and

Biotechnology represents only some of the mega-

constituencies of the model that allows and materialize in

reality a largely more evolved, rational, and intelligent

utilization of the agro-ecosystems.

The general strategy tends to MAXIMIZE the direct

positive impacts and externalities and at the same time

MINIMIZE the negative impacts and externalities.

The New Agricultural Paradigm

The “Complete Avoidance of Soil Tillage” and the achievement of a “Soil Covered by MOG –Plant

Material Other than Grains” along with the adoption of the principle of “ Soil Nutrition rather than

crop fertilization”, and a proper “Rotational Sequence of Crops”; can be considered as the “key pillars

and factors” that allowed us to evolve towards a Better Farming System ¡¡¡

Source: FREPASIDIAS Paraguay 2009

Gaining Carbon Losing CarbonPicts Credit to Dr Donald Reicosky Text R Peiretti

The Need to Gain Carbon into Soil

Tillage flashes flames of fire burning OM and C !

By any mean we ought to avoid tillage¡¡

Fortunately in some parts of the world things have

started to change migrating the agricultural

process toward the New Paradigm and the trend

steadely keeps growing year after year.


An example

No Tilled Soybean


Soybean coming in a No Till environment ¡¡¡¡¡

Large ampunts of crop residues = well covered soils = Organic Matter increase = Carbon

sequestration = increase of load and activity of soil microbiology and biota = larger nutrient cycling =

to … “ an improoved and better crop environment and system functioning”


GMO (RR soy in this case) progressing into oats as a cover crop


Great crop development


The results are largelly satisfactory, but, still we can ask to ourselves ...

Source: G Carballal Text

Roberto Peiretti 2011

….where are located the limits to groth by sustainable PRODUCTIVITY ??

ARGENTINA

No Till and MOSHPPA adoption patterns

The certification of the process


Argentina (No Till adoption process in % of the country cultivated area – all extensive crops-). It is

equivalent to 23 millons of hectares under No Till out of the total 30 millions cultivated

Some of the

Oustanding Bennefits Achieved


M RegSe triplicó la producción

total en veinte años

Siembra Directa-

Biotecnología AMSAP

Productividad Sustentable

Argentina – Area Cultivada en Millones de Has y Producción de todos los granos en

millones de TN

Certifyed

Agriculture

The evolution of No Till

Around 100,000 has are already certifyied across the country

Geographical Distribution of Certifyied Farms

CONCLUSIONSAAPRESID 2005 Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

At the present time and with the evidences we already have, we can

consider that the

No Till and the MOSHPA Model Principles are not only useful to..

“ increase PRODUCTIVITY and PROFIT avoiding further

degradation”

but also useful to

“ repair some of the damages caused on the past ”

which after all means to reach a

BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY STAGE


1998 Starting Point

Convent Plough based

Agriculture

2004 Goal Achieved ¡¡

by applying No Till and

MOSHPA Model PrinciplesSource: Roberto Peiretti 2005

As a final thought related to this vital issues

for humanity all, it appears as extremely

appropriate not to forget that …..

… the achievement of a more productive, profitable and

sustainable agriculture constitute goals that can be reached;

so ….

…. I encourage and invite all of you to double our efforts to

suceed at this purpose from which the future of our

civilization as we know it nowadays, strongly depends.¡¡

Thank You Very Much for your Kind Attention.

The Needed Conceptual and Operative Evolution of the Global Agro-Productive System

Technology

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