Start Date
End Date
Project Summary
In Portugal's Montado region, Terraprima's 'Sown Biodiverse Pastures' project (2009-2012) tackled degraded pastures caused by harmful agricultural practices. Funded by the Portuguese Carbon Fund, 1,000 farmers sowed diverse seeds on 50,000 hectares, promoting biodiversity without ploughing and investing in biodiversity as a tool to obtain more productive pastures. This increased soil organic matter by 0.2% annually, and resulting permanent pastures required no reseeding for a decade. Farmers received €140-€200 per hectare, contributing to CO2 sequestration and enjoying benefits like improved soil fertility, water retention, and increased livestock production. The project showcased a sustainable approach with positive environmental and economic outcomes.
Themes
Biogeoghraphic Region
Objective
Protection of the soil, compensation for the farmers providing environmental services, limitation of carbon emissions, and diversification of the income of farmers.
Good Practice Description
The SME Terraprima initiated the 'Sowing Biodiverse Pastures' project funded by the Portuguese Carbon Fund to support national Kyoto Protocol targets. The project involved 1,000 farmers sowing biodiverse seed mixtures on 50,000 hectares of grassland without ploughing. Biodiversity management relied on cattle grazing to prevent shrub invasion, reducing fire risks and the need for mechanical shrub removal. The seed mixtures, tailored to each area, included up to twenty local plant species, promoting biologically diverse permanent pastures. Leguminous plants, providing a renewable nitrogen source, increased pasture productivity and storage rates. Results showed an annual 0.2% increase in soil organic matter due to dense root systems and grazing returning biomass to the soil. The resulting permanent pastures required no reseeding for at least ten years. Participating farmers received €140 to €200 per hectare, adhering to obligations like no ploughing, appropriate seed mixtures, and no nitrogen fertilizers. Monitoring, technical support, and field visits ensured project success. The project sequestered one million tonnes of CO2 and brought additional benefits, including improved soil fertility, water retention, reduced erosion, and preserved grassland biodiversity. Livestock production also increased, and farmers were remunerated by the Portuguese Carbon Fund for contributing to carbon sequestration ecosystem services.
Tools and Equipment
Research and assessment tools (soil analysis kits to assess soil health and composition to be able to determine suitable seed mixtures, biodiversity assessment tools to identify local plant species and assess their compatibility with the environment), clear implementation guidelines and training programmes for farmers, financial incentives and funding mechanisms, monitoring and reporting tools, policy guidelines that support sustainable agriculture and regulatory tools.
Personnel
Project manager, agricultural scientist, financial expert.
Problems and Threats Faced
Potential challenges include securing adequate funding and technical expertise, overcoming resistance to change among farmers, navigating policy and regulatory hurdles, and engaging local communities effectively. Adapting the project to diverse climates and farming systems while ensuring long-term sustainability and market demand poses additional complexities. Establishing robust monitoring and evaluation systems and addressing infrastructure and technology limitations are also critical.