MasAgro hybrid maize seed produced by Mexican seed company BIDASEM
CIMMYT
CIMMYT and more than 150 local and international partners from the public and private sectors participate in MasAgro’s research and development (R&D) activities and contribute to its implementation in the 12 hubs mentioned before. Each year, MasAgro’s research infrastructure and impact areas depend on the different type and number of participants, although SAGARPA provides core funding and CIMMYT leads most R&D activities. CIMMYT and Mexico’s agricultural research system (INIFAP) have bred and released 49 improved varieties of white maize and yellow maize that are adapted to small scale and rain-fed farming conditions in central, south and southeastern Mexico. CIMMYT has also offered specialized training to more than 50 Mexican seed companies that reproduce and commercialize the improved seed in MasAgro’s target areas. To help farmers adopt and achieve the yield potential of the improved maize varieties CIMMYT implements the sustainable intensification strategy described above.
Public - private partnerships require a flexible approach to intellectual property rights. CIMMYT has been able to broker these partnerships for the benefit of thousands of farmers because the product of its research is free of intelectual property rights and has the status of universal public good, whether that may be improved seed, agronomic expertise, smart machinery prototypes or maize and wheat genotypes. Partners of an agreement of this nature must be willing to exchange information and to collaborate with each other.
It takes time to develop an effective network of partners. Some local seed companies did not send back information of field trials or markets. They wanted to have access to improved maize lines adapted to the markets where they sold seed but were reluctant or unable to send back information needed to further select or identify the best materials. It became necessary to offer specialized training on seed production and marketing to local seed companies. It was also necessary to build trust in the research and development network, and to help representatives of individual companies identify new markets for their products. CIMMYT identified different regions of Mexico that could increase maize production by substituting landraces with new high-yielding and resilient seed. These medium to high potential conversion zones offered new markets and incentives to local seed companies participating in MasAgro. These activities have been matched with ongoing efforts to train farmers on the adoption of the new high-yielding seed so that they may achieve their full yield potential.
Side-by-side comparison of sustainable vs conventional farming on Mexico's highlands
CIMMYT
MasAgro is in its seventh year of implementation developing a sustainable intensification strategy of maize production systems based on conservation agriculture, and on the development and transfer of improved, high-yielding, climate ready maize seeds to farmers’ fields. MasAgro develops small farmers’ ability to adopt the product of CIMMYT’s research on maize conservation and improvement, agronomy, farming machinery, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and postharvest storage solutions. CIMMYT has developed innovation networks or hubs between maize farmers, researchers, service providers, extension agents, authorities, local seed producers and industry representatives in 12 regions of Mexico that have specific agronomic, ecological, weather, infrastructure and market conditions relevant to maize production. Each hub is formed by research platforms, demonstration modules, extension and impact areas where improved seeds, management systems, farming machinery and ICTs are developed, tested and adapted to farmers’ needs. MasAgro offers training to extension agents, technicians and farmers who maintain an ongoing exchange of information that has been key to achieve resource conservation and use efficiency, productivity gains and income increases.
Each year MasAgro’s research infrastructure and impact areas depend on the type and number of participants, although SAGARPA provides core funding and CIMMYT leads R&D activities. CIMMYT and Mexico’s agricultural research system have bred and released 49 improved varieties of maize adapted to farming conditions in Mexico. CIMMYT has also offered training to more than 50 Mexican seed companies that commercialize the improved seed in target areas. Sustainable intensification helps farmers achieve the yield potential of the improved seeds.
It is important to manage expectations of funding partners who are often eager to report outstanding results in terms of number of farmers reached or yield increases achieved. Agricultural research for sustainable development projects takes time to gain momentum, and to attract the attention of farmers who are often skeptical about new agricultural practices or disappointed by publicly funded programs that have failed in the past. Farmers are often reluctant to innovate because they have much at stake. If a crop cycle fails they loose their annual income so innovation must be gradual and participatory. MasAgro has succeded in overcoming risk aversion by promoting a gradual and incremental change on farmers' plots. Participant farmers first adopt sustainable intensification practices on a fraction of their land to compare its performance with the rest of the conventionally managed plot. In this way they also gain experience with sustainable farming and confidence to gradually extend the use of the new management system. Farmers must have access to expert advice to succeed.
Transparency, Accountability, Accuracy, Completeness and Third Party Independent Registry
At Porto Bonito Farm, the project promotes wildlife breeding, wild animals rehabilitation and releasing, recovering of fisheries, seed selection, nursery and planting of native trees species of local occurrence, farming of pollinators, rehabilitation of scenic beauty, environmental education and recreation for visitors, partners, participating companies, students and others. Porto Bonito was first approached in 2008 – it used to be a cattle ranch, and in 2012 the project started accepting participants. Staff is trained to measure, report and verify MRV the environmental credits being generated from management practices, as the forest carbon credits. The project promotes reforestation at grassland and degraded areas to restore biodiversity and increase carbon sequestration and storage, generating forest carbon credits. Those credits transferred to participating companies. All process registered independently at the Mato Grosso State Platform for Business with Environmental and Ecosystem Goods and Services (www.pnbsae.com.br).
Staff with capacities to develop MRV methodologies and local infrastructure allowing for the training of consultants and auditors. the existence of the platform for independent registry at Mato Grosso State. local infrastructure for project difusion and dissemination, facilities allowing for visitors to access the location and sites.
It is necessary to provide specific training and needed resources to make climate change a palatable theme to professionals and general public. we did various training sessions and participate at many different events over 5 years of activities implementation before reaching a level of common understading with the independent registry and having a smooth flow of documents and process. much attention is need on articulating and promoting adequate partnerships and investments must be done towards promoting joint initiatives, meetings, conferences and similar difusion and dissemination activities.
Green Farm CO2FREE (www.greenfarmco2free.com.br) developed the prime property fraction concept to conservation, creating a CSR club for participating companies. With that approach at finance, it invests on providing ecosystem services to participating companies, including carbon, water, biodiversity, green marketing and others.
a prime property located within the buffer zone of a National Park, well preserved and large enough to allow implementing of large scale conservation and enhancement of ecosystem services to companies and other interested parties. CSR programs under planning, development or implementation phase by companies and other interested parties
Companies are willing to invest on CSR programs but they lack the adequate knowledge / skills to identify, amongs available opportunities, the ones with best results in terms of both, marketing and environment positive impacts. There is a major effort on marketing your own project and its benefits before reaching the right audhience, and the decision must come from high adminstrative levels. usually managers and other personal/staff tend to avoid participation on long term thrird parties project activities due to the sense of self=preservation (when the external agent is sucessfull it feels like the internal staff is no needed anymore). in order to avoid this we now look into interacting and letting the solution be designed by internal staff itself, making them project owners.
