Farmers participate in hands-on water monitoring training

Farmers participate in hands-on training on water monitoring and water resilience

Field Day in Serra do Salitre, organized by the Cerrado Water Consortium (CCA), highlights the importance of collective water management in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais

By ASCOM CCA

The Cerrado das Águas Consortium (CCA), in partnership with the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO), held the Field Day “Water Resource Monitoring: How to Monitor Water on Your Farm and in the Region,” at the Paiolinho Farm, owned by Edson Alves, in Serra do Salitre (MG). The initiative brought together rural producers, partners, and members for a program focused on strengthening the water resilience of properties and understanding water dynamics in the region.

The event’s main objective was to demonstrate, in a practical way, the importance of monitoring both on and off rural properties, allowing participants to understand how water behaves in sub-watersheds and how the collective management of this resource is essential to ensuring the region’s water security.

The program included practical activities and technical content related to water infiltration into the soil, the water balance, the phytophysiognomies of the Cerrado, and strategies aimed at water conservation within the production system. Practices such as soil conservation, restoration of Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), restoration of riparian forests, and protection of springs were also addressed.

One of the highlights of the Field Day was the training session on water resource monitoring led by Professor Marina Batalini of the Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), who emphasized the importance of an integrated approach to water management in river basins.

“When we talk about water resource management, about understanding water monitoring and the water balance of a basin, we need to look at the watershed scale. Often, this basin encompasses more than one producer. If one producer uses more water than is available, the producer further downstream in the basin ends up being harmed as well. That is why we need to take this holistic view,” emphasized Marina Batalini.

The professor also emphasized the importance of familiarizing producers with water monitoring and management tools.

“The role of the Cerrado Water Consortium in actively teaching producers how to conduct this monitoring, and in presenting tools, equipment, and measurement techniques, is extremely important for building a more participatory approach to water resource management within the basins,” she added.

Another highlight of the program was the talk by Murilo Bettarello, a farmer, entrepreneur, and international consultant on regenerative agriculture, who shared his insights on the challenges facing agricultural production in the face of climate change and water scarcity.

“Today, in a world where production is becoming increasingly difficult, with water shortages and climate change, water is a key factor. And this challenge must be tackled together. We work with regenerative practices that include cover crops, the use of microorganisms, and organic fertilization. This results in coffee that is more sustainable, more resilient, and even requires less water for irrigation,” explained Murilo.

Farmer Mauro Cézar Naimeg highlighted the importance of the event for connecting theory and practice on the farms.

“My motivation for participating in this event was to learn more about the work of the Cerrado Water Consortium and understand what I can apply in practice on our farm,” he said.

Farmer Edson Alves, the host of the meeting, emphasized the importance of water monitoring for the reality of the farm.

“The monitoring strategy, for me, was essential. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to produce due to the characteristics of my soil. I have different types of soil on the property, and this directly influences production,” he commented.

Fabiane Sebaio, Executive Secretary of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium, emphasized that the training is part of the “Biodiverse and Productive Landscapes” project, which is financially supported by the Floresta Viva grant program.

“The training on water resource monitoring and management is directly linked to the initiatives of Cerrado das Águas, whose primary goal is to ensure water availability. This project works with producers to demonstrate the benefits of regenerative strategies both in farming and in the restoration of native vegetation, contributing to water infiltration into the soil and to maintaining river flow during periods of drought,” she explained.

The Field Day is part of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium’s initiatives aimed at building more resilient, productive, and sustainable landscapes in the Cerrado Mineiro, strengthening the connection between agricultural production, environmental conservation, and adaptation to climate change.

The Biodiverse and Productive Landscapes project is funded by the Biodiversity Corridors Call for Proposals – Floresta Viva. Floresta Viva is an initiative of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) designed to support ecological restoration projects in Brazilian biomes. The Biodiversity Corridors Call for Proposals is supported by BNDES and Petrobras, with Funbio serving as the managing partner.

About Cerrado das Águas

The Cerrado das Águas Consortium is a collaborative platform that brings together various sectors, including businesses, government, and civil society. The CCA is an initiative of the coffee production chain that seeks to build water resilience in the Cerrado Mineiro region through strategies that promote better land use, ensuring the continuity of coffee production in the region and mitigating the impact of climate change.

Through the Conscious Producer Investment Program (PIPC), the CCA team guides, supports, and encourages producers to implement strategies for the provision of ecosystem services, with a focus on improving water supply for all producers whose properties are adjacent to a specific watershed, thereby making the region resilient to climate change. As a result, the CCA has 202 hectares of conserved native vegetation, 4,000 hectares of farmland in the process of transitioning to regenerative agriculture, and 150,000 people benefiting from the initiative.  

The initiative’s associate members include the following companies: Nescafé, Expocaccer, Nespresso, Lavazza, Cooxupé, Cofco International, Volcafe, NKG Stockler, Daterra, the Cerrado Coffee Growers Federation, CerVivo, the Starbucks Farmer Support Center, JDE Peet’s, EISA, X-Farm, and the Ernesto Illy Foundation. In addition, the platform has key partners such as the Serra do Salitre Municipal Government and the Coromandel Municipal Government.