Guidance for the Bonsucro Production Standard (v4)
Stories of Change: testing intercropping on smallholder land
Smallholders often don’t have access to the resources and tools they need to address climate impacts. But helping them build resilience requires innovation and a willingness to do things differently.
This is what the team at Assobari set out to achieve in their project, supported by the Bonsucro Impact Fund. In partnership with Brazilian cooperative Coopercitrus, Assobari explored the productivity and sustainability benefits of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS) in association with no-till farming.
ICLFS is a regenerative approach combining agricultural, animal farming and forestry activities in the same area in a way that the activities work together to make the most of the land and boost productivity. No-till farming, meanwhile, is the practice of planting crops without disturbing the soil through digging or turning it over, thereby preserving soil health and preventing greenhouse gas emissions.
This pilot project, “Using sugarcane intercropping to simulate no-tillage conditions,” was tested in two smallholder farms in Brazil’s central-west region from December 2022 to June 2024.
Boosting soil health with cover crops
These farms were selected for their diverse soil conditions. The experimental plots involved intercropping various cover crops, such as buckwheat and wild radish next to the sugarcane. To serve as a baseline for comparison, the control plot was only planted with sugarcane.
This project found that the integration of cover cropping significantly improved soil health (with soil organic matter increasing by 800 kg/ha to 6,200 kg/ha). Improving soil health has significant benefits for sugarcane farmers when done properly. Healthier soils provide more nutrients and improve water retention, making crops more resilient while using less fertilisers and lowering irrigation costs.
This initiative is a great example of a nature-based solution. Chemical inputs were substantially reduced and, in some cases in intercropped areas, removed completely. Residue from cover crops acted as a natural mulch – suppressing weed growth and reducing soil erosion.
“My area has always had a lot of weed infestation, and I was very pleased with the more sustainable (weed) control solution that this project provided” – Participant producer [translated from Portuguese]
Continuous improvement is necessary
However, there are also important learnings from this project. For example, some of the cover crops used competed with the sugarcane, resulting in reduced yields. Now that this is known, future initiatives can focus on selecting the right crops that will complement sugarcane.
“Previously, this method was only used for cereals, but now we have proven that it’s possible to apply it to sugarcane. With this experiment, we identified mistakes and managed to correct them for future areas. So, we saw what worked and what didn’t, and we can improve for future producers.” – Assobari staff
Looking ahead
This project highlights the importance of building smallholder resilience to adapt to the challenges they face. Sharing their experience and valuable insights in catalysing more sustainable practices offers a great inspiration for others to build on this and lead the change in their own region.
“Thanks to the Bonsucro Impact Fund, it enabled us to do something in this area which shows that there is a way forward towards sustainability.” – Luiz Foloni, Project Coordinator, Assobari [translated from Portuguese]
Do you have a project idea? Learn more about the Fund and the other projects we are supporting.
Bonsucro Impact Fund
The Bonsucro Impact Fund invests in impact projects that address critical sustainability challenges in the sugarcane sector.
The Bonsucro Impact Funds uses income from the sale of Credits through the Bonsucro Credit Trading Platform.
All trades are charged a transaction fee, around 50% of which is invested into the Bonsucro Impact Fund.
