The measurement of carbon emissions for tropical countries is outdated, according to local agricultural leaders.
The CEO of Bayer Brasil, Marcio Santos, explained that this happens because, initially, the calculators made for this purpose were developed for regions with a temperate climate, in the north of the planet.
He was the guest on the podcast Raiz do Negócio, your road between the countryside and Faria Lima, a partnership between the InfoMoney and The Agribiz, the
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Local peculiarities
As techniques have evolved, he says it is natural that there is a demand for a measurement more appropriate to the environment in question. And the measurement should, according to the executive, take into account local peculiarities.
As an example, it is possible to mention how the processes need to be different when there is a plantation after ice formation and another in a drier climate. This changes in crop types, quality and even quantity.
“Planting in Belém, with the heat, which we are experiencing here [na COP30] all year round, it’s different from another region where you plant after removing the ice from the ground. So, this is the size of the distinction”, he summarized.
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The metric, says Santos, allows you to measure and understand what actions were taken to achieve certain results. And this can even help to shape more efficient planning. And with more reliable foundations too.
Embrapa Partnership
In this context, Bayer Brasil recently formed a partnership with Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Company). They developed a calculator with the ability to precisely consider the local characteristics of a tropical climate. One of the successful examples is carbon measurement for soybeans. According to the executive, the project took around five years, with the help of more than two thousand producers in the country.
“We show a carbon footprint that is one third of the global average. We did this based on the local methodology, which considers two harvests per year. This already has a completely different management”, he explained.
In addition, for example, direct planting and inoculation, typical of tropical agriculture. “We have a carbon footprint of up to 700 kilos per ton of soybeans produced, compared to a global average of above two tons.”
What is missing, emphasizes the CEO of Bayer Brasil, is diplomatic alignment with other nations that share a similar climate so that this can proceed jointly.
The interview was carried out during COP 30, in Belém, Pará, with the presenter and founder of The AgriBiz, Tatiana Freitas, in locoto cover the event.
