INTENSIVE SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEMS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND DIVERSIFICATION AND TO PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IN

MEXICO

WorkshopAgroecology, Water and Climate Change

OUTLINE1.- Importance of livestock production

2.- Problems related with the livestock production

3.- Economic, social and environmental results

What can agriculture do for development?

• Agriculture contributes to development in many ways:

• as an economic activity,• as food production, and • as a provider of environmental services,

As an economic activity

• 3 billion people live in rural areas, nearly half world population

• It generates on average 29 % GDP

• Employment for over 1300 million people.

• Important for food security because it is a source of income for the majority of the rural people.

• Produce a third of the protein required for population

As a provider of environmental services.

• It is also a major provider of environmental services (generally unrecognized):

• sequestering carbon,• managing watersheds, • and preserving biodiversity.

• The livestock is practiced in about 100 millions of has (55% of the Mexican territory).

• The land covered with grasses is about 30 millions has.

Importance of Livestock production in Mexico

• However, due to agricultural purposes México losses annually 510,000 ha of tropical forest.

The expansion of pastures areas has aggressively transformed rural landscapes with negative environmental

and socio-economic impacts.

Forage shortages, mainly during dry period (five to six months)

Livestockandclimatic change

Responsible for more than 18% of GH emissions :

9% carbon dioxide (deforestation)

37% methane emissions

65 % nitrous oxide

Intensive livestock systems (feed lots) based on imported grain (soya, sorghum and maize)

The need for transforming conventional livestock systems production in Mexico to:

• Reduce environmental impact

• Land degradation

• Increase food security

• Creating rural employment

• Improve rural livelihood

Silvopastoral systems

Is the integration of livestock, grasses and trees at high densities with the main goals of increase quality and production of fodder and promote

the conservation of soil and biodiversity

C sequestration

Atmospheric nitrogen fixing and transfer

Increase quality and fodder production

Reduce methane emission

Trees for timber and animal and human welfare

Increase meat and milk production

+ Productivity

+ Competitively

+ Welfare and health

+ Economic gains

+ Attachment at the rural areas

Better food quality

Better efficiency in the use of local resources: Water, soil, plant

• Promotion of silvopastoral practices in cattle ranching• Increase animal productivity • Provide environment services (C sequestration, N fixing and

Biodiversity)• Reduce dependence of imported grain• Reduce deforestation• Increase Food security, Employment and Social Security

The project goals:

FROM 2011 TO 2012:SILVASTORIL SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE MEXICAN LIVESTOCK

PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS

500

500

500 500

1000

1000

1000

1000

5000

1000

Goal: 12,000 has of SPSin 10 Mexican estates

JALISCO, GUERRERO, MICHOACÁN, SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, TAMAULIPAS, VERACRUZ, YUCATÁN, CHIAPAS, OAXACA Y CAMPECHE

Total area 12000 haAltitude rang: 300 a 500 m a.s.l.Rainfall: 600 to 800 mm y-1

Aver Temp: 26 to 30°C

LAZARO CARDENAS

COAHUAYANA* * AGUILILLA

*LA HUACANA*

*

*

TIQUICHEO*TEPALCATEPEC

APATZINGAN

Director

R1

R2

R3

Director

R1

R2

R3

R4

BUENAVISTA

Director

R1

R2

R3

Director

R1

R2

R3

R4

Director

R1

R3

AQUILA ARTEAGA

CHINICUILA

COALCOMAN

CHURUMUCOSAN LUCAS

Director

R1

R2

R3

Director

R1

R2

R3

Director

R1

R2

R3

Dire

ctor

R1

R2

R3

Director

R1

R2

R3

Dir

e

ctor

R1

R3

Director

Ma. Isabel

Huarin

ches

Sandoval

CBTa

SPR

Liberato

AG

LTepec

Aviador

Am

arillas

Paraíso

Silvopastoril Systems Farmers Network

Livestock area: 1,900,000 haLivestock Inventory in the tropical region: 640,000 Livestock carrying capacity: 0.5 UA / haMilk production: 700 L / ha/y

Dire ctor

R1

R3

PARACUAROD i r e c t o r

E j i d o L a C o n c h aH u r i c h p

Ga

lea

na

L a s P il a sE l C a n t o r

J a u j a

TUMBISCATIO

HUETAMO

TURICATO

NOCUPETARO

CARACUARO

Current state of networl

2,700 ha SSPI14 core municipalities1 core in temeperate zone (Sahuayo, Jiquilpan, Marcos Castellanos)800 producers

4º in beef production

FPM

DirectorMa.

Isabel

Huarinches

Sandoval

CBTa

Example of Silvopastoril Network in the Tepalcatepec Valley:

SPR

Sta Cruz

AGLTepec

AviadorAmari

llas

Paraíso

Características del Sistema de Producción: Doble propósitoProductos: carne, leche y queso

Perfil de los productores:Tradición ganaderaVisión empresarialTalento innovador

Núcleo Empresarial de la ganadería bovina doble propósito900 Has. En SSPI70 Productores

Meta: 10,000 Ha en SSPi

SSPi con respaldo científico nacional e internacional

UNIVERSIDAD

Silvopastoral Project:

Silvopastoral model for the sustainable livestock production in the Mexican Tropics

Year Goals 2006 - 2012

Year 1 (2006 – 2007) 60 Has. With SPS / 6 farmers

Year 2 (2007 – 2008) 200 Has. With SPS / 25 farmers

Year 3 (2008 – 2009) 1600 ha with SPS / 248 farmers

Year 5 (2011 – 2013) 10,000 ha with SPS / 1200 farmers in ten Mexican states

Results

Agroecosystems before and after reconversion

Up to June 2011

1200 families adopting the SPS10 Mexican states 5000 ha reforested

SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESULTS

Over 2000 direct employs generated (including woman and young people)

Over 500 part time jobs and indirect employment

4 L Milk/cow/day1080 L /cow/year

1 animal/ha

8 L Milk/cow/day2160 L/coe/year6480 L /ha/year

3 animal/ha

Before and after the Silvopastoril Systems:Productive indicators

Benefits in terms of fodder production and quality: Silvopastoril systems produce about 20 ton DM per Ha/year

(five times more than conventional grassland systems

Fixing atmospheric N and C sequestration, methane mitigation

Leucaena ready to be grazed 6 months after planting

Before

6 months later

Protein: 4000 kg/year/ha 20 ton of concentrated feed

Atmospheric N Fixing: 300 to 500 kg/ha/year

Cattle fattened with Leucaena/grass only, will gain up to 1.00 kg/day

Multiple stratus for multiple services

Trees for poles, firewood and provide animal comfort

Rancho El Paraíso: A family livestock entrepise

Before de SPS establishment

After animal grazing

8 months later

Make smallholder farming more productive and sustainable is the main pathway out of poverty in

using agriculture for development (FAO 2011)

Thank You