Sustainable agricultural uses in the Caatinga

Abstract

The productive use of the Caatinga vegetation, as native pasture, fallow in itinerant agriculture, and firewood production, has been the main reason why it still covers 40% of its original 1 million km2. Producers could not find systems composed solely of planted species that were more profitable over long periods and large areas because of the low plant biomass production capacity due to low water availability. In the last decades, low productivity and high production costs, mainly labor, has rendered agriculture increasingly less competitive in relation to other Brazilian regions. Therefore, the area dedicated to agriculture has been decreasing and crops such as perennial cotton and sisal have almost disappeared. Since it has been predicted that plant-growing conditions will tend to become even harsher, with lower rainfall and higher potential evapotranspiration, a reversal of this trend is unlikely and corn and beans, the major crops, will be planted less. Conversely, livestock production may increase with the planting of African grasses. The balance of agriculture abandonment and pasture planting will determine how much Caatinga will be preserved. Firewood production may increase, mainly around large consumption centers, but the overall stock is enough to meet the demand. Efforts should be directed to improve productivity and land conditions in the portions that will be maintained under use. The current trends indicate that the area under native vegetation will not decrease from its present situation.