PRODUCING BOTH FOOD & FUEL, MINIMIZING LAND USE IMPACTS
Producing Both Food & Fuel Through Planting of Oil Seed Trees and Beans/Vegetables
Sustainable BioBrazil is involved in a program working with local agricultural coops and the State of Maranhao to plant oil seed trees and food crops between trees and to build combination irrigation and fish ponds. The overall aim is to combine production of food and fuel crops to increase income from the land, lower input requirements per crop, and improve sustainability. The sustainability plan has been well received by the Maranhao government and they are interested in undergoing a pilot program on state land that will be expanded to 2.8 million hectares of state land if it is successful. The basic plan involves planting of oil seed trees in conjunction with planting of bean and vegetable crops. It also involves irrigation in conjunction with fish farms on small pond systems set up where tree planting is occurring.
Oil seed trees being considered include macauba and moringa olifeira. Macauba is an oil palm tree that is native to most of Latin America and has a large fruit bunch that has oil seeds with high oil content and an edible meal and fruit cover. The oil is good for biodiesel or renewable diesel production with one of the best cold flow characteristics for a tropical palm. A research project funded by EMBRAPA was able to demonstrate yields of 4 to 5 tons of oil per hectare in a test planting program. The meal has high protein content. There is limited commercial production experience with planting this oil seed tree with limited nursery capacity to produce seedlings. While some seedlings can be obtained from wild stock at a low cost, the fruiting results will not be certain until the tree is mature. The time to fruiting is about 5 years.
Moringa Olifeira is a crop native to the Philippines and India that is commonly used as a subsistence food in both countries. The oil has excellent properties for production of biodiesel and the meal is non-toxic when the seed is ripe for harvest of oil. It is a small tree that reaches fruiting stage fairly quickly (3 or 4 years). A commercial planting effort is now occurring in the Philippines where 700,000 hectares are being planted by one company. India is also expanding its Moringa harvest and planting effort. The main advantage of the tree is the feed by-product value of moringa leaves and seedlings, which can improve calcium content of milk and increase the number of twin births so cow production increases 10%. The oil is also good for biodiesel and renewable diesel production.
Production of Vegetable for Local Food Markets and Hunger Programs:
Maranhao is a state with good soil conditions, adequate rainfall and very low utilization rates of agricultural land. Yet it is also a net food importer with most vegetables being imported from other states. It also has high rates of poverty, malnutrition and hunger. One important benefit program Urban Bio-Alliance will be promoting in the concept of planting food to alleviate hunger. Production of food does not occur because of underinvestment in land and agriculture and lack of sufficient resources by small farmers to do anything but subsistence farming.
Sustainable BioBrazil is working with the State of Maranhao and small producer cooperatives to develop a program that focuses on local vegetable production, with a portion of the crops going to local supermarkets and the balance being distributed to feed the hungry. Investment will focus on providing key tools, seeds and inputs to poor farmers while also providing direct employment to the same farmers to provide income to reduce poverty. This will lead to food production on both the State agricultural land and individual small farms. The focus of production efforts will be on high quality vegetables (carrots, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, etc.) that are sold to local supermarkets. Some of the excess food will also be distributed to residents in the region that are still poor and hungry.
Various vegetable and bean crops will be planted between the trees depending on markets, value of crop, nitrogen fixing capability and disease prevention issues. The most likely crops will involve beans because of their excellent nitrogen fixing capability. Some species of faba beans can fix over 50% nitrogen in the soil and are in high demand in some markets. More common bean species to Brazil include black beans and cowpeas, both of which fix nitrogen in good percentages. Beans have the advantage of good stability for transport and no requirements for refrigeration. They are also amenable to hand picking without undue labor costs vs. crop value.
The other focus will be production of vegetables for local markets in the State of Maranhao. Sustainable BioBrazil has undergone a market study that involved the two main supermarkets in Sao Luis. The survey looked at vegetables in their store that were not being purchased locally and that had high shipping and duty costs in transport from other states. From this research, a set of suitable vegetables and their wholesale and retail values were defined that led to discussions with buyers about what type of vegetables they would prefer to buy in a long term contract. An offtake agreement for all of the vegetable production is being negotiated with Bompreco, which has shown strong interest in the project. This will lead to large scale production of vegetables between trees to match 100% of their demand. This will then be expanded to include the other two major supermarkets in Maranhao.
We have also undergone an agronomic evaluation of a set of crops that can be planted as a part of the pilot program to produce vegetables and fruits and evaluate various oil seed tree crops. To produce viable crops that are within a reasonable shipping distance to markets in Sao Luis, a location was chosen that had good soil conditions, adequate rainfall and good logistics for moving the crops to market. The land being used for the agricultural project is being given to Sustainable BioBrazil by the State of Maranhao and consists of agricultural land for use by the State in improving agricultural opportunities for agricultural associations. The land being provided for the project has not been farmed for an extended period of time. As a result, clearing of the land will be required and steps taken to prepare the land for planting of crops. To optimize sustainability, the following steps will be taken:
The anaerobic digestion of field wastes will be enhanced through the inclusion of animal and fish waste that will result in a bio-digestion process to produce organic fertilizer. This fertilizer will be used to substitute for chemical fertilizers with better soil quality. This will combined with planting of various bean and pea crops, particularly new varieties such as faba, cowpea and other beans with high nitrogen fixing capacity to minimize fertilizer requirements. The objective is to optimize yields of oil seed and food crops while minimizing the cost and carbon impact of using chemical inputs.
Rotation Cropping of Oil Seed and Other Row Crops
Sustainable BioBrazil is also looking at achieving goals for production of feedstock for biofuels and food for agricultural industries using traditional intercropping of row crops. Various oil seed crops are being considered in combination with other crops that will improve soil conditions. The preferred rotation will probably involve peanuts and sesame in combination with faba beans and cowpeas.
Peanuts grow well in sandy soil that is typical of most of Maranhao. Peanuts also fix nitrogen which improves soil quality. Peanuts have high oil content (45%) and the oil has good characteristics for production of biodiesel. The meal is edible and has high protein content. Peanuts also have food markets for snacking or as an input for production of peanut butter. Faba beans have very high nitrogen fixing potential (as high as 60% (5kg) with one species). Sesame is a seed with relatively low production costs, able to withstand cycles of dry and wet periods and with characteristics of oil fatty acids that make it suitable for biodiesel production. Some species have very high oil content (up to 50%). There is a good market for whole sesame seeds as a taste supplement for bread and the seed can also be put through normal oil and meal extraction equipment to produce edible meal and oil.
These rotations can be done twice per year in tropical climates, allowing for a 2 year rotation cycle that produces large amounts of both vegetable oil and food. Rotations will match seasonal rainfall with dry season crops matched to low rainfall periods. The use of optimized rotation strategies, even if the details of individual crops need to be changed to optimize the soil and climatic conditions and suitability of specific crops to the micro-region, offers a very effective strategy to minimize high cost inputs like nitrogen that are also the main greenhouse gas contributor to farming of energy crops.
The agronomic plan for rotation planting stress sustainability results through higher yields, greater carbon reduction good soil and agronomic practices. Farm management will be directed by the best teams of University agronomists who will devise plans to show how the farms can grow seed trees with good agronomic results and minimize input costs and carbon impacts. training workshop planned in March, 2009 will result in getting experts from Brazil and all over the world to evaluate the best strategies for such rotation planting in looking at the potential duplication of the model on millions of hectares of state land in Maranhao.
Fish Production in Conjunction with Irrigation and Fertilization System
Maranhao is a state with an equatorial rain cycle of a wet season and dry season. In order to optimize production of oil seeds, vegetables and bean crops, some production plans will involve the establishment of ponds that will provide water for irrigation and a habitat for fish production. This will involve the construction of simple earth dam ponds that will catch water from rainfall and runoff and supplement water requirements with a simple shallow well. The pond will be seeded with various fish including tilapia and other fish. Tilapia is ideal in this environment because it can grow very quickly, withstands environments with high fish density and tolerates water conditions expected in ponds. The fish can also eat algae, which can be seeded in the pond and used to supplement traditional feeds.
An advantage of the fish pond concept is that it provides a disposal option for new meal products being developed including Moringa and Macauba meals. These meals will be used as fish feed to document the benefits nutritionally and help establish a market for meal products in other markets. Technology will also be evaluated in conjunction with pond construction and operation including methods to put oxygen in the pond, eliminate sulfuric acid build up and move water with fertilizer value to fields. This will involve a set of perforated pipes that will be used to both move oxygen and disinfection systems to the pond and to suck water from the bottom of the pond in conjunction with waste residues from fish production. This will help keep water oxygenated, lower levels of pathogens and eliminate sulfuric acid buildup. In addition, water moved to the fields will have high fertilizer value because of the fish feces, algae, feed residue and minerals at the bottom of fish ponds that are then moved to fields.
Producing Both Food & Fuel Through Planting of Oil Seed Trees and Beans/Vegetables
Sustainable BioBrazil is involved in a program working with local agricultural coops and the State of Maranhao to plant oil seed trees and food crops between trees and to build combination irrigation and fish ponds. The overall aim is to combine production of food and fuel crops to increase income from the land, lower input requirements per crop, and improve sustainability. The sustainability plan has been well received by the Maranhao government and they are interested in undergoing a pilot program on state land that will be expanded to 2.8 million hectares of state land if it is successful. The basic plan involves planting of oil seed trees in conjunction with planting of bean and vegetable crops. It also involves irrigation in conjunction with fish farms on small pond systems set up where tree planting is occurring.
Oil seed trees being considered include macauba and moringa olifeira. Macauba is an oil palm tree that is native to most of Latin America and has a large fruit bunch that has oil seeds with high oil content and an edible meal and fruit cover. The oil is good for biodiesel or renewable diesel production with one of the best cold flow characteristics for a tropical palm. A research project funded by EMBRAPA was able to demonstrate yields of 4 to 5 tons of oil per hectare in a test planting program. The meal has high protein content. There is limited commercial production experience with planting this oil seed tree with limited nursery capacity to produce seedlings. While some seedlings can be obtained from wild stock at a low cost, the fruiting results will not be certain until the tree is mature. The time to fruiting is about 5 years.
Moringa Olifeira is a crop native to the Philippines and India that is commonly used as a subsistence food in both countries. The oil has excellent properties for production of biodiesel and the meal is non-toxic when the seed is ripe for harvest of oil. It is a small tree that reaches fruiting stage fairly quickly (3 or 4 years). A commercial planting effort is now occurring in the Philippines where 700,000 hectares are being planted by one company. India is also expanding its Moringa harvest and planting effort. The main advantage of the tree is the feed by-product value of moringa leaves and seedlings, which can improve calcium content of milk and increase the number of twin births so cow production increases 10%. The oil is also good for biodiesel and renewable diesel production.
Production of Vegetable for Local Food Markets and Hunger Programs:
Maranhao is a state with good soil conditions, adequate rainfall and very low utilization rates of agricultural land. Yet it is also a net food importer with most vegetables being imported from other states. It also has high rates of poverty, malnutrition and hunger. One important benefit program Urban Bio-Alliance will be promoting in the concept of planting food to alleviate hunger. Production of food does not occur because of underinvestment in land and agriculture and lack of sufficient resources by small farmers to do anything but subsistence farming.
Sustainable BioBrazil is working with the State of Maranhao and small producer cooperatives to develop a program that focuses on local vegetable production, with a portion of the crops going to local supermarkets and the balance being distributed to feed the hungry. Investment will focus on providing key tools, seeds and inputs to poor farmers while also providing direct employment to the same farmers to provide income to reduce poverty. This will lead to food production on both the State agricultural land and individual small farms. The focus of production efforts will be on high quality vegetables (carrots, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, etc.) that are sold to local supermarkets. Some of the excess food will also be distributed to residents in the region that are still poor and hungry.
Various vegetable and bean crops will be planted between the trees depending on markets, value of crop, nitrogen fixing capability and disease prevention issues. The most likely crops will involve beans because of their excellent nitrogen fixing capability. Some species of faba beans can fix over 50% nitrogen in the soil and are in high demand in some markets. More common bean species to Brazil include black beans and cowpeas, both of which fix nitrogen in good percentages. Beans have the advantage of good stability for transport and no requirements for refrigeration. They are also amenable to hand picking without undue labor costs vs. crop value.
The other focus will be production of vegetables for local markets in the State of Maranhao. Sustainable BioBrazil has undergone a market study that involved the two main supermarkets in Sao Luis. The survey looked at vegetables in their store that were not being purchased locally and that had high shipping and duty costs in transport from other states. From this research, a set of suitable vegetables and their wholesale and retail values were defined that led to discussions with buyers about what type of vegetables they would prefer to buy in a long term contract. An offtake agreement for all of the vegetable production is being negotiated with Bompreco, which has shown strong interest in the project. This will lead to large scale production of vegetables between trees to match 100% of their demand. This will then be expanded to include the other two major supermarkets in Maranhao.
We have also undergone an agronomic evaluation of a set of crops that can be planted as a part of the pilot program to produce vegetables and fruits and evaluate various oil seed tree crops. To produce viable crops that are within a reasonable shipping distance to markets in Sao Luis, a location was chosen that had good soil conditions, adequate rainfall and good logistics for moving the crops to market. The land being used for the agricultural project is being given to Sustainable BioBrazil by the State of Maranhao and consists of agricultural land for use by the State in improving agricultural opportunities for agricultural associations. The land being provided for the project has not been farmed for an extended period of time. As a result, clearing of the land will be required and steps taken to prepare the land for planting of crops. To optimize sustainability, the following steps will be taken:
- conversion of all wood to briquettes or charcoal
- use of branches, leaves and other debris for an anaerobic digestion and conversion to fertilizer
The anaerobic digestion of field wastes will be enhanced through the inclusion of animal and fish waste that will result in a bio-digestion process to produce organic fertilizer. This fertilizer will be used to substitute for chemical fertilizers with better soil quality. This will combined with planting of various bean and pea crops, particularly new varieties such as faba, cowpea and other beans with high nitrogen fixing capacity to minimize fertilizer requirements. The objective is to optimize yields of oil seed and food crops while minimizing the cost and carbon impact of using chemical inputs.
Rotation Cropping of Oil Seed and Other Row Crops
Sustainable BioBrazil is also looking at achieving goals for production of feedstock for biofuels and food for agricultural industries using traditional intercropping of row crops. Various oil seed crops are being considered in combination with other crops that will improve soil conditions. The preferred rotation will probably involve peanuts and sesame in combination with faba beans and cowpeas.
Peanuts grow well in sandy soil that is typical of most of Maranhao. Peanuts also fix nitrogen which improves soil quality. Peanuts have high oil content (45%) and the oil has good characteristics for production of biodiesel. The meal is edible and has high protein content. Peanuts also have food markets for snacking or as an input for production of peanut butter. Faba beans have very high nitrogen fixing potential (as high as 60% (5kg) with one species). Sesame is a seed with relatively low production costs, able to withstand cycles of dry and wet periods and with characteristics of oil fatty acids that make it suitable for biodiesel production. Some species have very high oil content (up to 50%). There is a good market for whole sesame seeds as a taste supplement for bread and the seed can also be put through normal oil and meal extraction equipment to produce edible meal and oil.
These rotations can be done twice per year in tropical climates, allowing for a 2 year rotation cycle that produces large amounts of both vegetable oil and food. Rotations will match seasonal rainfall with dry season crops matched to low rainfall periods. The use of optimized rotation strategies, even if the details of individual crops need to be changed to optimize the soil and climatic conditions and suitability of specific crops to the micro-region, offers a very effective strategy to minimize high cost inputs like nitrogen that are also the main greenhouse gas contributor to farming of energy crops.
The agronomic plan for rotation planting stress sustainability results through higher yields, greater carbon reduction good soil and agronomic practices. Farm management will be directed by the best teams of University agronomists who will devise plans to show how the farms can grow seed trees with good agronomic results and minimize input costs and carbon impacts. training workshop planned in March, 2009 will result in getting experts from Brazil and all over the world to evaluate the best strategies for such rotation planting in looking at the potential duplication of the model on millions of hectares of state land in Maranhao.
Fish Production in Conjunction with Irrigation and Fertilization System
Maranhao is a state with an equatorial rain cycle of a wet season and dry season. In order to optimize production of oil seeds, vegetables and bean crops, some production plans will involve the establishment of ponds that will provide water for irrigation and a habitat for fish production. This will involve the construction of simple earth dam ponds that will catch water from rainfall and runoff and supplement water requirements with a simple shallow well. The pond will be seeded with various fish including tilapia and other fish. Tilapia is ideal in this environment because it can grow very quickly, withstands environments with high fish density and tolerates water conditions expected in ponds. The fish can also eat algae, which can be seeded in the pond and used to supplement traditional feeds.
An advantage of the fish pond concept is that it provides a disposal option for new meal products being developed including Moringa and Macauba meals. These meals will be used as fish feed to document the benefits nutritionally and help establish a market for meal products in other markets. Technology will also be evaluated in conjunction with pond construction and operation including methods to put oxygen in the pond, eliminate sulfuric acid build up and move water with fertilizer value to fields. This will involve a set of perforated pipes that will be used to both move oxygen and disinfection systems to the pond and to suck water from the bottom of the pond in conjunction with waste residues from fish production. This will help keep water oxygenated, lower levels of pathogens and eliminate sulfuric acid buildup. In addition, water moved to the fields will have high fertilizer value because of the fish feces, algae, feed residue and minerals at the bottom of fish ponds that are then moved to fields.
