“we are just trying to feed the world,” said rafael riedel, overlooking the eternal city of rome at the un food and agriculture organization (fao) headquarters. riedel, a 24-year-old southern brazilian farmer, is acutely aware of how climate change and rising costs are impacting global food producers. at the 2024 world food forum (wff), an international conference on agrifood systems transformation, he hoped to bring this knowledge from farm to forum. 

riedel’s attendance at wff was part of a leadership programme for young farmers funded by the world farmers organisation. when reflecting on the conference, riedel recalls a lack of farmers and economists in expert panels to communicate the challenges of sustainable agricultural techniques. his perspectives are informed by his lived experience in brazil, where agricultural expansion is often scrutinized by the international community for driving large-scale deforestation of critical habitats like the amazon.

rafael riedel: a proud farmer

riedel is a seventh-generation farmer from the southern brazilian state of mato grosso do sul, where his family has operated cattle ranches and farms since the 1800’s. today, his family’s farm is an organized company (sapé agro) that practices cattle ranching, dairy farming, poultry production, and commercial crop cultivation. after experiencing life outside the farm through school and work, he has come to embrace his identity as a farmer. 

for riedel, land is life, and expansion into undeveloped areas offers new sources of production and profit. for instance, since riedel was young, his father expanded their operations from 500 to 7000 hectares, increasing the farm’s revenue tenfold. yet, cattle ranching, small-scale farming, and soybean cultivation are the primary drivers of deforestation in the amazon, implicating farmers like riedel in global conversations on forest conservation.

“i am proud of being a farmer, and that is something i learned how to do. most of my outfits i use farming boots, because that is just who i am and what i am used to and what i always did. for a while i was ashamed of that, but then i realized that is what i liked. that is me.” – rafael riedel

to cultivate or conserve: agriculture in the amazon

the agribusiness sector has been a contentious topic of economic, political, and environmental debate in brazil. for instance, former president jair bolsonaro, who served from 2019 to 2023, encouraged agricultural expansion in the amazon by defunding enforcement agencies, loosening restrictions on livestock farming, and attempting to shift decision-making powers over indigenous land away from indigenous peoples.

while current president luiz inácio lula da silva has decreased deforestation rates in the amazon from a 15-year high to a five-year low, almost 20 percent of the amazon has been destroyed by illegal cattle ranching and logging, infrastructure development, and soybean production in the past five decades. with increasingly severe wildfires and drought, the rainforest is nearing a dangerous tipping point of 25% deforestation, in which it could transition into a dry grassland, resulting in large-scale biodiversity loss and carbon release.

regarding protected areas like the amazon, riedel notes the difference between legal and illegal farming. as a legal farmer, he follows brazil’s strict forest code, which requires landowners to set aside a portion of their land for native vegetation, in addition to mandating reforestation of illegally deforested areas. in southern brazil, producers like him must conserve 20% of native vegetation, while those in the legal amazon must conserve 80%. but, legal farmers like riedel, who actively conserve land as they expand production, say they risk being misunderstood as the illegal cattle ranchers and soybean farmers driving deforestation. 

for marco ribeiro, a brazilian forestry engineer, slowing habitat loss in the amazon requires increasing regional enforcement mechanisms and overcoming entrenched political opposition and economic interests from the agricultural and logging sectors. “faster prosecution of violators is essential to maintain the credibility of enforcement, alongside closing loopholes such as the 2008 amnesty clause,” he said.

the loopholes ribeiro is referring to include sections of the 2012 forest code revision, which lessened restoration requirements and forgave fines for landowners who illegally deforested before 2008. to him, this unintentionally encouraged further deforestation by signaling leniency and disincentivizing compliance.

a study published in pnas revealed substantial economic payoffs to producers who deforested illegally before 2008 and determined that the costs of restoration represented an untenable financial burden on new farmers. according to ribeiro, “limited technical and financial resources often hinder adherence creating barriers that should be understood and resolved through fairer and more inclusive policies.”

ribeiro also calls for greater collaboration between farmers, governments, and international organizations in implementing sustainable farming methods.

“collaboration between local communities, government agencies, and international stakeholders is essential to balance economic development with environmental preservation. if implemented alongside initiatives promoting sustainable land use and economic incentives for conservation, these measures could significantly reduce illegal deforestation in the amazon.” – marco ribeiro 

riedel “gets the chills” thinking about the fines and environmental consequences of illegal farming in the amazon. he too calls for direct collaboration with farmers to better balance agricultural expansion with habitat conservation in brazil and beyond.

bringing dialogue from farm to forum

at the world food forum, riedel had one mission: reorienting discussions about agrifood systems transformation towards the needs and constraints of producers. to him, framing organic farming and agroforestry in terms of their economic and practical benefits to farmers will accelerate conservation-friendly agriculture in regions like the amazon. 

“if it is cheaper, if it makes sense in the long term for the farmer, if it makes economic sense and it’s sustainable, that is an opportunity for dialogue. if you say to someone with low margins and high costs that it is not going to benefit you in the long term, it is not going to give you any more profit, that is not going to work. not just for farming, but for everyone.” – rafael riedel

riedel recalls how agroforestry was met with skepticism by brazilian farmers but eventually embraced due to its long-term benefits, including lower energy costs and less chemical inputs. on his own farm, riedel produces organic fertilizer due to its cost efficiency. “we did it because it was cheaper and because we could take some resources from the dairy farm and use it on the soybean and corn,” said riedel.

in addition to organic fertilizer, riedel also incorporates sustainability in other ways, including rotational farming, no-till practices, and solar energy as cost efficient opportunities to decrease inputs and expand long-term productivity. marco ribeiro agrees that pragmatic sustainable farming approaches for and from farmers require stronger recognition and reinforcement in international agrifood dialogue.

 “strengthening cooperatives, creating platforms for dialogue, and encouraging partnerships with governments and international organizations would ensure that these farmers’ contributions are integrated into strategies for transitioning agrifood systems. this inclusive approach would align global efforts with the realities of those on the ground.” – marco ribeiro

riedel’s wff attendance was an opportunity to foster dialogue at a crucial turning point in brazil’s agricultural policy. these efforts extend beyond the amazon to less-protected areas like the brazilian cerrado, which experienced a  45% surge in forest loss in 2023 due to soy and beef production. according to experts like ribeiro, farmers are at the frontlines of both environmental protection and agricultural expansion, cultivating strategies for conservation-friendly food systems. while challenges in agriculture land management persist, farmers like riedel are simply asking for the platform to share their stories.  

“it’s part of what we are doing. sharing our stories and letting the world know what we are doing. come to a farm. come visit us. we will receive you with open arms. just come to a farm and see.” -rafael riedel