Sustainable agriculture for everyone
Produzindo Certo's project to democratize access to sustainable farming methods will offer free courses for farm-related professionals in the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, with support from the Land Innovation Fund.
The door is now open to applications for the first round of free courses on sustainable agriculture for extension agents, which will share methodologies, practices, and responsible agriculture protocols using a platform developed by Produzindo Certo (Farming the Right Way) in partnership with the Land Innovation Fund. This training experience for new multipliers aims to spread knowledge about responsible agriculture, making it easier for farmers to get technical assistance on sustainability and green business opportunities. Agronomists, veterinarians, agricultural technicians and other agribusiness professionals have until March 06th to register for the five-day training course, to be held at locations to be defined according to demand, in the Cerrado and Amazon biomes. This partnership reaffirms the Land Innovation Fund's commitment to supporting innovative solutions for sustainable, climate-smart and deforestation-free farming, with no conversion of native vegetation in South America.
The Produzindo Certo socio-environmental diagnosis and compliance platform is one of seven initiatives selected in the second round of funding by the Land Innovation Fund for implementation in South America. Lasting 18 months, the project aims to create favorable technical and management conditions for the responsible use of land, enhancing farmers' access to business models for sustainable production. The Land Innovation Fund's contribution will be to expand the reach and functionalities of this digital system, for example by creating an access profile for extension agents to carry out socio-environmental actions and evaluations on farms, and to train new multipliers themselves. The initiative is expected to include in the platform's database at least 200 farmers who work approximately 500,000 hectares of land, offering them a detailed socio-environmental diagnosis and action plans to correct non-conformities on the farm, and giving farmers access to the Eu Produzo Certo ("I produce right") application.
"In partnership with the Produzindo Certo Platform, we hope to scale up Brazil's sustainable soy output by making it technically and financially feasible to adopt more responsible agricultural practices, in line with the international climate agenda. Only by engaging the active participation of all the players throughout the soy supply chain will we be able to promote sustainable, low-carbon farming in South America", says the Land Innovation Fund's Director, Carlos E. Quintela.
The course on sustainable farming for extension agents is the first in a series of Produzindo Certo's activities to spread knowledge about sustainable practices, in partnership with the Fund. The course will address topics such as low-carbon and regenerative agriculture, crop-livestock-forest integration, and general guidelines for evaluating a farm's compliance with sustainability parameters and legislation.
"With this expertise, agronomists, veterinarians, agricultural technicians and other professionals who work hand in hand with farmers will be able to guide their clients on socio-environmental issues and share knowledge that will certainly bear fruit in development," says Aline Locks, Produzindo Certo's CEO.
At the end of the course, professionals will be able to apply data collection methodologies using the Produzindo Certo environmental, social, and productive profile protocols, Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) seals for sustainable soy certification, and agricultural and forest greenhouse gas data to calculate carbon emissions, all through the Produzindo Certo platform. Participants in the course will receive a final certificate, as well as handouts, support material, access to the application and to the Produzindo Certo platform.
About Produzindo Certo
Produzindo Certo is a company specialized in providing farmers with technical expertise and knowledge about sustainability, to help them adapt their farms to the law and to best social and environmental practices. It also presents real solutions for companies dependent on verified supply chains that meet strict social and environmental standards. Its products and services combine leading-edge technology with essential field work, drawing farmers and companies closer together to transform agro supply chains. More than 3,200 farms are now registered on the platform, which monitors 6.5 million hectares. Produzindo Certo helps conserve more than 2.9 million hectares of protected vegetation on farms.
About the Land Innovation Fund:
Initially funded by Cargill, and managed by Chemonics International, the Land Innovation Fund supports the design, development, and delivery of innovative solutions for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, free from deforestation and conversion of native vegetation, in three of South America’s priority biomes: the Cerrado, the Gran Chaco and the Amazon.: the Cerrado, the Gran Chaco and the Amazon. Since its launch in 2021, the Fund has supported 28 projects with 34 partners in the region, covering an estimated 1.6 million hectares and engaging more than 1,300 farmers.