Looking for quality improvement of No Till system at the farmer level as a goal, FEBRAPDP and ITAIPU BINACIONAL developed a participatory methodology for assessing the quality of the Conservation Agriculture in the Paraná 3 basin. Visit the conference site for more information: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012 Ayant pour but la recherché de l’amélioration de la qualité du système No Till à l’échelle du paysan, FEBRAPDP et ITAIPU BINACIONAL ont développé une méthodologie participative pour évaluer la qualité de l’eau en Agriculture de Conservation dans le bassin de Paraná 3 Visitez le site de la GCARD2 pour plus d'informations: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012

1. DRAFT
Breakout Session P2.2 Land, Water, Forests and Landscapes – Speaker Brief
Ecosystem Resilience and Multi-stakeholder Governance
Ivo Mello (Brazilian Federation of No-Till Associations)
Context – the problems being addressed
After the mass adoption phase of No Till by farmers in the 1990s, indicators of water quality
monitored by the Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam showed continued suspended solids and nutrients
contamination contributing to the lake’s eutrophication. The diagnosis indicated that farmers in
general decreased slightly soil disturb, but not invested in crop rotation and maintenance of plant
residues on the soil surface. We realized that the quality of tillage was still short of what is desirable.
On the farm the need for external inputs increasing production costs due to not achieving desirable
resilience of Conservation Agriculture (CA).
Current activities presented and discussed in the Session
Looking for quality improvement of No Till system at the farmer level as a goal, FEBRAPDP and
ITAIPU BINACIONAL developed a participatory methodology for assessing the quality of the CA in
the Paraná 3 basin.
The methodology developed in this basin as a pilot project involves the application of a diagnostic
questionnaire which uses low cost computerized system (using free software as gvSIG) to generate a
score that measures how much the farmer is close to the optimum determined by agricultural research.
A score of 0 to 10 in 8 indicators listed from the discussion with the farmers themselves and the local
community through the management committees of the ITAIPU Cultivating Good Water Program
generates what we call IQP – No Till quality index. The diagnosis is fast and simple, developed to
avoid interpretations. With the information by the answers from the farmers the software generates a
database of every property parcel with assessed scores of each indicators and their IQP. The program
can be loaded by the farmer himself or his coach that can georeference the farm under based on
Google Earth. In the end it will issue a report identifying strengths and weaknesses of the management
of the farmer analyzed. This report has a format of continuous improvement plan drawing the farmer’s
attention where he should focus his investments to improve CA quality in his property.
Intended outcomes
1. Diagnosis application in large areas with technical extension and training to increase
the farmer's resilience in the face of rising production costs;
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2. 2. Improving water quality in the reservoirs of the hydroelectric dam;
3. Community participation through collegial structures such as watershed or municipal
committees creating environment to mutual commitment between the stakeholders
with planned results.
Commitments to collective actions in 2012-2014 (national, regional or international)
i. With existing resources
 IQP application in largest jurisdiction – water catchment;
 Involvement of state, cooperatives and private extension;
 IQP adaptation to other country regions.
ii. With additional support
 IQP validation through research institutions like the Embrapa and IAPAR;
 Models development involving the environmental services with IQP;
 Policies development to benefit farmers scored better (access to credit, add value, local
recognition).
iii. With specific large scale programme investment
 Developing programs for environmental services payments based on simple models of
assessment that may encourage the farmer to be protagonist of natural resource
conservation while still producing fibers, food and energy in his farm.
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