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Sergio Pena

Nov 12, 2017
08:19

Catalyst


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Excellent proposal. Well structured. Will you have any legal regulation to fulfill in the implementation phase of the project? Best. Sergio


Rafael Ajuz

Nov 21, 2017
01:38

Member


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Proposal
contributor

Thank you very much for the comments. Regarding the regulatory aspect in our country, Brazil, we have to comply with a series of regulations. It is worth highlighting the resolutions of the National Council of the Environment, which has the force of law, in addition to other important legal frameworks such as the National Environmental Policy and the Forest Code. For our project, for example, we have to follow one specific resolution for the use of sewage sludge and another for the use of mining waste. If you have a more specific question, we can indicate the applicable regulations for each case. Thank you again!


Caroline Liu

Nov 26, 2017
01:27

Impact Assessment Fellow


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Thank you for submitting your contest proposal.

A Climate CoLab Impact Assessment Fellow who specializes in Land Use has conducted an impact assessment of your proposal which you can find under the “IMPACT” tab. Please review the documentation and model parameters. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact Ciniro Costa Junior at ciniro.junior.


Regards,
Impact Assessment Fellows


Danilo Takasaki Carvalho

Dec 10, 2017
02:10

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contributor

Dear Ms Liu and other impact assessment fellows, 
 

Thank you very much for the assistance on the impact assessment. We will get in touch with Mr. Costa Junior in order to better understand the assumptions of the calculations. 

By the time we submitted our proposal, we had not secured any partnership to implement our project, thus our calculations were made in abstract, with the use of data on agroforestry practices obtained from the works of Embrapa, the Brazilian agency of agricultural research. We extrapolated the data for the expected coverage of area (in number of hectares) that our project would attain along the future.

But last week we entered the final stages of formalization of a partnership with a land owner, so nowwe can obtain more detailed information on what the impact would be. The farm is in Cristalina, Goias, 140km away from Brasilia, the country´s capital city. The farm has 130 hectares in total, of which 60 have been turned into pastures where cattle and mules are raised. The pastures are now poor and show signs of degradation. The land owner complains that the costs to maintain the farm barely equal the revenue obtained from the sale of the animals (a very common situation among Brazilian farmers, we have noticed).

In our view, this is the perfect opportunity to prove that our model is technically and economically viable, since the farm is close to the suppliers of the raw materials needed to recover the soil. In less than 200km there is a mining plant that can provide good quality rock powder. In less than 100km there are several charcoal producers that can provide charcoal powder, and the sewage treatment company that serves Brasilia currently provides sewage sludge free of charge, as long as we pay for the freight. 

Thus the costs of soil recovery would basically entail freight of rock and charcoal powder and of sewage sludge, as well as labour and rental of machinery to incorporate the mixture into the soil. 

The initial idea would be to gradually recover the soil of pastures (12 hectares/year) and plant African mahogany in double lines of 3mx2m spacing, with 20m lines of pastures between the lines of trees. Pastures would be subject to rotation with corn and soy or beans, which can provide natural nitrogen fertilization for the soil and generate forage for the cattle.

By adopting this model, the main activity of the property can be maintained, and the overall productivity of the farm is enhanced, especially if the attractive returns of the forest are considered. Beyond that, we can expect benefits for the environment, for the animals (thermal comfort from the forest), water and carbon sinking, not only in the trees but also in the soil from the application of biochar.

This technology of integration of forest and cattle is currently part of a governmental programme on promoting low carbon practices in agriculture. Embrapa, the abovementioned agency, is the main developer and sponsor of the technology in the country.

Kind regards,

Danilo Takasaki 

Team Hardwoods Brasil 

 


Ciniro Costa Junior

Dec 28, 2017
07:23

Impact Assessment Fellow


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Hi Danilo

Your proposal is great, but methods for evaluating impacts in the Land Use in Climate CoLab framework still needs to be improved to better capture contests impact. Please, get in touch to talk (what´s up +55 19 98170 0722). 

Best of luck,

Ciniro


Ciniro Costa Junior

Dec 28, 2017
07:24

Impact Assessment Fellow


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Danilo, the correct number is +55 19 98179 0722