Author(s): MARTHA JUNIOR, G. B.

Summary: ABSTRACT. A bold sustainable intensification strategy involves a multiple approach combining increased yields, cropping intensity, and resource-use efficiency. Well-designed and implemented integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ICLS) can achieve those goals. In this paper I discuss the potential land-saving effects arising from the recovery of low-productive pastures through ICLS and the potential land-saving effects from productive livestock systems already in rotation with high-yielding soybean crops. The recovery of low productive pastures offers an impressive way of sparing land from cultivation. Land-saving effects resulting from turning low productivity pastures into productive ones through ICLS may reach 11 ha spared/ha recovered but figures around 3 to 5 ha spared/ha recovered would probably be more realistic. The potential for generating land-saving effects in high-productive ICLS is lower (up 1.40 ha spared/ha) because land-productivity is close to or is already at the attainable yield level. However, productive ICLS have a higher potential to deliver environmental benefits and their already high levels of land-productivity indicate that associated rebound effects are unlikely. Thus, productive ICLS will likely promote land-sparing effects with no leakage.

Publication year: 2021

Types of publication: Paper in annals and proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Digital Agriculture

Keywords: Agricultural R&D, Economia da Terra, Efeitos de economia de terra, Integrated crop-livestock systems, Intensificação sustentável, Jevons´ paradox, Land use change, Pesquisa e desenvolvimento agrícola, Produtividade da terra, Sistemas integrados lavoura-pecuária, Sustainable intensification, Uso da Terra