The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) has made progress in defining technical guidelines for the methodology certifying low-carbon soybean in Brazil. At the end of June, the document’s first version was published with the first principles for certifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in farming systems that apply for the award.
With certification, emission reductions in soybean production systems are expected to reach approximately 30%. This estimate is based on the sustainable innovations described in the document, one of Brazil’s largest initiatives in the sector. The protocol includes legal issues, the elimination of burn-offs, sowing calendars, and relevant rules such as respect for the sanitary void. The directive does not replace but complements the Brazilian Forest Code, regarded as one of the most rigid in the world.
“The goal is to make qualitative and quantitative aspects of soy tangible, based on technologies and practices that reduce the intensity of GHG emissions,” says Henrique Dibiasi, Coordinator of the Management Committee of the Low Carbon Soy Program (PSBC) and researcher at Embrapa Soy (PR).
The mandatory practices for obtaining certification include full implementation of a no-till farming system, good recommendations for co-inoculation, fertilization, and soil correction, as well as the use of technically prescribed chemicals. Complementary practices such as Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning, integrated pest, disease, and weed management, Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forest Systems (ICLFS), use of digital and georeferenced tools, and analysis of soil quality are also observed.
The Low Carbon Soy seal is based on the MRV methodology (measurable, reportable, and verifiable). “Its implementation is completely voluntary and can be used by producers willing to collaborate on green initiatives that may be qualitatively and quantitatively proven,” says the General Manager of Embrapa Soy, Alexandre Nepomuceno.
The methodological development is coordinated by Embrapa Soy with the aid of several specialists from the company, as well as players in the soy production chain and representatives from partner companies such as Bayer, Bunge, Cargill, Cocamar, GDM, and UPL.
Next steps
As of the 2023-2024 harvest, the protocol has now been validated in more than 60 agricultural areas (pilot units), distributed across all the soy-producing regions in Brazil. The pilot units were defined by companies that support the program, prioritizing areas that use a soy production system with the potential to obtain this certification in the short term.
This stage also aims to scale up the initiative, to identify production systems suitable for certification by the time the protocol is launched on the market, scheduled for mid-2026. The validation process also involves discussing the protocol with the production sector, international organizations, and grain market representatives, so that the proposed methodology reflects the reality of Brazilian producers and, at the same time, is accepted and respected internationally.