Strategies and Public Policies for Soil and Water Conservation and Food Production in Brazil

Abstract

There is an urgent demand to change our intensive crop production systems, replacing them with soil use and management systems that recover, preserve, or improve soil health and are environmentally sustainable, producing healthy and good-quality food. In this work, we compile and present strategies and public policies aimed toward soil and water conservation and food production in Brazil. The results presented may help Brazilian farmers adopt practices to recover, maintain, or improve soil health and politicians to create or modify public policies for healthy soil and food, without the necessity of increasing agricultural areas. Food insecurity was also addressed, with family farming playing an important role in food production and decreasing food insecurity. But these challenges need the combined efforts and engagement of the whole society.

Keywords

• soil health
• food insecurity
• soil degradation
• family farming
• soil conservation practices
• systemic perspective