Julián Chará, Coordinator of Center for Research on Sustainable Systems of Agriculture Production (CIPAV) presented the urgency to promote silvopastoral systems in Latin America, in particular in Colombia. “CIPAV advocates the Intensive Silvopastoral Systems (ISS) because it increases efficiency of biological processes by combining fodder shrubs, pastures and timber trees” said Chará.

1. Silvopastoral systems to promote
forest protection in Colombia
Julián Chará
Enrique Murgueitio
Zoraida Calle
Centre for Research on Sustainable Systems of Agricultural Production
Cali – Colombia
www.cipav.org.co

2. Pastures in South America
– 550 million hectares
in Latin America
(2007) 27% of area
– 38 million hectares
in Colombia
http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/aglands-pastures-2000/maps

3. Deforestation in South America
Source: NASA/USGS/UMD/SDSU:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/news/40th-top10-
amazon.html

4. Growth of cattle herd in Colombia
24,000,000
21,000,000
0.3% annual
18,000,000
• 1.4% annual growth
• 3,3% annual
growth
15,000,000
12,000,000
1983
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
Source: FAO - FEDEGAN

5. Hot Spots de Deforestación
1990-2010
Land Use Land Use Conflicts
Crops
Pastures

6. Land use efficiency
• Average annual per
hectare stocking rate:
0.59 animals
• Average annual per
hectare productivity:
– 19.9 kg of beef
– 89.7 L of milk
Los Santos province, Arco Seco region, Panama
Photo: Fernando Uribe
• Minimum animal loads
• Low per animal and per hectare production
indexes
FAO, 2006 • Meager contributions to rural employment

7. Livestock in a changing world
• Ensure the provision of good quality food for a
growing population
• Reduce the impact on the environment
– Improve biodiversity
– Reduce deforestation and promote restoration
– Reduce water pollution and improve watershed regulation
– Reduce GHG emissions
– Provide environmental services
• Revert soil degradation
• Be resilient to Climate Change
• Be respectful with local culture
• Produce timber and other forest products
• Increase animal welfare

8. Cattle ranching can be:
• Conventionally managed: Efficient tool
for ecosystem degradation.
• Sustainably managed with silvopastoral
systems: Tool for rehabilitating degraded
lands.
• Silvopastoral systems integrated with
connectivity corridors and protected
areas: Part of a strategy for the ecological
restoration of agricultural landscapes.

9. Silvopastoral Systems - SPS
• Agroforestry
arrangements that
combine fodder
plants, such as grasses
and leguminous
herbs, with shrubs and
trees for animal
nutrition and
complementary uses.
Pezo & Ibrahim, 1998; Harvey 2004

10. Four silvopastoral systems
Scattered trees in pastureland Live fences
Intensive silvopastoral system Mixed fodder bank (cut-and-carry system)

11. Intensive silvopastoral system ISS
• A system that can be directly grazed by livestock. It
combines:
– Fodder shrubs planted at high densities (>10,000 plants
ha-1), intercropped with
– highly-productive pastures, and
– 500 timber trees planted in east-west lines to minimize
shading.

15. What is intensive about ISS?
Efficiency of biological processes:
The “inputs” of the
Photosynthesis & system are the
biomass production natural processes
themselves
Organic matter Nitrogen fixation
and soil
biological Solubilization of soil
activity phosphorus and
other nutrients

16. January, 2006 August, 2006
First grazing
Biomass production
April 2006 January 2007
Animal body condition
1.2 large 5.1 large
animals animals
1.7 L milk 4.1 L milk
cow-1 day-1 cow-1 day-
1
Carrying capacity and productivity

17. 1990 2011
Pasture with star grass iSS
10,000 Leucaena ha-1)
Fertilization 450-500 kg urea ha-1 Without fertilization
year-1
Stocking density 3.5 4.5
(450kg ha-1)
Milk production 9000 l ha-1 yr-1 15,000 l ha-1 yr-1

18. Productive parameters and GHG Balance under
different scenarios in Colombia
Scenarios
iSPS +
Degraded Improved
iSPS Timber
Pasture Pasture
trees*
Plant Biomass; tons DM/ha/yr 7.0 19.2 28.0 28.0
Stocking rate (GA/Ha) 0.85 2.34 3.00 3.00
Kg de meat produced per ha-
year (LW) 77.6 341.6 711.8 711.8
Source: Naranjo et al. 2012

19. Surface required to produce 10,000 ton of meat (lw)
per year in the dry region of Colombia
Thousands of ha
Extensive Improved Intensive
pastures pastures Silvopastures

20. Land Use changes after project end

21. Without project
Riparian corridors (ha)

22. Connectivity corridors – MBSCR
Project
Buffer strips
(25 m wide)
- Natural ecosystem fragments
Core strip - Scattered trees
(10 m wide) - Intensive silvopastoral systems
- Live fences
- Wind breaks
Payment for land uses sufficiently
compatible with conservation
- Natural ecosystem fragments
- Forest restoration
Only farmers that commit to strict
conservation receive payment

23. Silvopastoral systems as a landscape matrix at El
Chaco Farm, Piedras, Tolima
Riparian buffer and
secondary forest
Rice monoculture matrix
Silvopastoral matrix
Silvopastoral matrix
Rice monoculture
matrix

26. Rehabilitation of cattle ranching lands must:
3. Facilitate the
release of
fragile, marginal
and strategic
areas for
ecological
restoration.
1. Increase productivity and profitability of 2. Enhance the generation of
the production system environmental goods and services.

27. Land Use change in the “coffee region” of
Colombia
2003 - 2007
FINCA PINZACUÁ, 2003 FINCA PINZACUÁ, 2007

29. Thanks!!!