Territorial Regeneration Forum Drives Cerrado Transition

The Territorial Regeneration Forum Connects Climate, Production, and the Market to Drive the Regenerative Transition in the Cerrado Mineiro

The event, organized by Cerrado das Águas, will bring together farmers, researchers, companies, public institutions, and market representatives to discuss solutions capable of enhancing the region’s environmental, productive, and economic resilience.

By Cerrado das Águas

On September 1, Patrocínio (MG) will host the 2026 Territorial Regeneration Forum, a gathering that aims to foster an integrated discussion on the future of production systems in the Cerrado Mineiro region in light of the challenges posed by climate change. Organized by Cerrado das Águas, with strategic support from SEBRAE, LAB (Landscape Accelerator Brazil), the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, the Rabo Foundation, Embrapa Café, and Fundaccer, the event will take place at Espaço Cerrado and will bring together experts, producers, researchers, government representatives, companies, and organizations involved in sustainability and the coffee production chain.

With the theme “Connecting Production Systems in the Cerrado,” the Forum was designed to bring together different sectors around a common goal: to expand the region’s capacity to address climate risks without losing sight of productivity, competitiveness, the conservation of natural resources, and the creation of value for producers.

The program will address territorial regeneration as a process that transcends the boundaries of individual properties. The aim is to demonstrate that the protection of water, soil, native vegetation, and biodiversity depends on coordinated actions at the landscape scale, involving producers, governments, businesses, the market, financial institutions, universities, and communities.

The event will begin with the lecture “Scenarios, Risks, and Solutions for Ensuring Production in the Face of Global Warming,” presented by Marco Antonio Fujihara, an expert in sustainability, governance, and climate change. The presentation will set the context for the day’s discussions: the effects of global warming on agricultural production and the need to transform environmental risks into concrete strategies for adaptation, planning, and ensuring continued production.

Next, the panel “The Importance of Landscape” will discuss collective action as a prerequisite for promoting effective change in the region. Moderated by Michael Becker, executive director of Nature Invest, the discussion will address the expansion of the Cerrado Mineiro Regenerative Corridor and its connection to public policy, climate science, supply chains, and global mobilization efforts.

Participants in this panel include Fabiane Sebaio, executive secretary of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium; Leonardo Queiroz, general coordinator of Rural Landscape Management; Argemiro Teixeira, a researcher at the National Institute for Space Research; Rodolfo Climaco, a representative of Nescafé and vice president of the Consortium; and Silvia Ferrari, a forestry engineer and analyst affiliated with INCRA.

Among the topics to be discussed are the results and upcoming challenges of the Regenerative Corridor, its contribution to ecosystem balance and sustainable rural development, the importance of regional actions for climate protection in the coffee supply chain, and opportunities for coordination with the National Plan for the Recovery of Native Vegetation. The panel will also discuss how local initiatives can attract partners and investments to expand the regenerative transition.

The second panel, “Regenerative Markets and Production Systems,” will be moderated by coffee grower Marcelo Urtado, president of Cerrado das Águas. The discussion will explore how regenerative agriculture can set Brazilian production apart, enhance its competitiveness, and meet the new demands of international markets.

Participants will include Lara Pereira de Souza, general coordinator of Crop Production at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; Felipe Feijó, national manager of the Starbucks Farmer Support Center in Brazil; and Ronaldo Torres, an economist specializing in applied economics, with a focus on public finance, market structures, agricultural insurance, and regional and rural development. and Juliano Tarabal, executive director of the Cerrado Coffee Growers Federation.

The panel will address the connection between regenerative agriculture and policies that promote sustainable production, the importance of the work being done in the Cerrado Mineiro region for international buyers, and the impacts of new trade and environmental regulations. Also on the agenda will be the Mercosur–European Union Agreement, European regulations against deforestation, and the repositioning of the Cerrado Mineiro region in a market that increasingly values origin, traceability, and socio-environmental performance.

In addition to the debates, the Forum will provide opportunities for students and educational institutions to participate. During breaks, attendees will have the chance to explore academic work related to regeneration and coffee farming, strengthening the connection between science, youth, rural production, and territorial development. The exhibition “Voices of Regeneration” will also showcase different experiences and perspectives from those participating in this transformation.

In the afternoon, the program will focus on the solutions needed to implement changes in the region. Angélica Rotandaro, from Rabobank, will present a financing program aimed at water resilience, while Alexander Van Parys, Director of Operations at Ecomatrix, will discuss tools capable of supporting the transition at the regional level.

The third panel, “Impacts of the Regenerative Transition on Production Resilience,” will bring together research, the market, agricultural practices, and the experiences of those already implementing changes in the field. Moderated by Bruno Ribeiro, Responsible Sourcing Manager at JDE Peet’s, the discussion will gather different perspectives on the environmental, productive, and economic outcomes of regeneration.

Participants include Gisele Vilela, a researcher at Embrapa; Marcelo Vieira Pedroza, commercial director of Volcafe Brasil; Eduardo de Souza Martins, director of the Associated Group for Sustainable Agriculture; and farmer Cássia dos Anjos, who is developing an agroforestry system on her property and participates in initiatives of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium.

Topics will include the impacts of the regenerative transition on the region and the sustainability of production, the potential of agroforestry systems for coffee farming, the economic viability of new practices, and their effects on productivity, efficiency, and the use of natural resources. The farmer’s experience will help bridge the gap between technical discussions and the day-to-day reality of rural properties.

By bringing together scientific knowledge, public policy, financing, the market, and practical experience, the Territorial Regeneration Forum seeks to strengthen a shared vision of the future for the Cerrado Mineiro. More than just presenting concepts, the event aims to foster connections and solutions that can be applied at scale, reconciling environmental conservation, water security, climate resilience, and rural prosperity.

The event is open to the public, with limited registration; the full program can be viewed at: https://www.cerradodasaguas.org.br/en/forum-regeneracao-territorial