News
26/05/2023
Bom Futuro has made history by delivering Brazil's first soybean shipment with a measured carbon footprint, tracked and deforestation-free (DCF – Deforestation and Conversion Free Soy). This achievement was announced during the launch of the PRO Carbono Commodities program by Bayer on Thursday, June 25, at the Bom Futuro farm in Matupá, Mato Grosso.
The soybeans were produced in Matupá on a cultivable area of 27,700 hectares, alongside more than 59,400 hectares designated as environmental reserve. Bom Futuro is part of the PRO Carbono Commodities initiative, a global program under Bayer's Forest Protection initiative, which aims to demonstrate how agribusiness can be part of the solution to combat climate change and preserve biodiversity.
“Bom Futuro has always partnered with companies to develop new programs and has been open to showcasing our sustainable practices. Implementing this program is a continuation of our commitment to good practices, such as soil care and precision agriculture, focusing on each plot to enhance sustainability and productivity,” explained Antônio Trento Scheffer, director of Bom Futuro.
This marks the first harvest under the PRO Carbono Commodities program, which includes soybean production from 10 Brazilian farmers located in the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, covering a total area of 159,000 hectares. The project measures the carbon footprint throughout the agricultural phase, from pre-planting to harvest, and continues through transportation to the grain's delivery, with transparency and traceability to validate this innovative product within the commodity trading chain.
The initiative guarantees that the production comes from deforestation-free areas (DCF), totaling approximately 90,000 hectares of natural vegetation, considering legal reserves and their excess. As a prerequisite for participation, farmers must not have converted natural vegetation areas into agricultural fields in the past ten years, even if legally permitted, aligning with international carbon certification standards. Additionally, by joining the program, they commit to preserving the excess natural vegetation on their properties.
Bom Futuro shareholder Erai Maggi Scheffer believes this initiative is significant given the global discussions around environmental issues. “We have the tools, but we needed to connect all the pieces to offer a value-added product. The vast majority of Brazilian rural producers meet sustainability requirements, and this program will maximize production using technology, science, and connectivity to monitor every square meter of the farm for productivity. This will demonstrate to Brazil, as well as Europe and Asia, what our agriculture is capable of,” he said.
“Bom Futuro is a pioneer in both high-volume sustainable production and high preservation. Associating this program with a company that is looking ahead to market trends and how we can collectively transform the supply chain is what makes it stand out,” said Fábio Passos, Bayer's Carbon Business Director for Latin America.
The program has recorded primary data for the areas related to the 240,000 tons of soy produced, accounting for an average carbon footprint of 861.55 CO2 eq/t. Measurement was conducted using the PRO Carbon Footprint tool, developed through a partnership between Bayer and Embrapa and based on internationally recognized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology.
“We are sustainable, but we need to demonstrate this with numbers. That's why Embrapa joined the project to help us bring these indicators. This first validation for soy is just the beginning of the process. We are starting a journey to measure the carbon footprint and show how agriculture can be sustainable while increasing production and productivity,” stated Silvia Massruhá, President of Embrapa.
*Information provided by Bayer's press office.