1. The Needed Conceptual and Operative
Evolution of the Global Agro-Productive
System
“From the analysis of the challenge to a solution of it”
Rosario, Argentina, Mercosoja 2011
Ing. Agr. Ms. of Sc. Roberto A. Peiretti
Miembro CD de AAPRESID – Ex Presidente de CAAPAS
robertopeiretti@gmail.com

2. The Global Human Population Growth

3. It moved from 8 millons to one Billion of Persons in 97 CENTURIES but from 6
to 7 billions (one billion increase) in only 13 years. Such a growth
peace transformed the demand growth for AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ¡¡

4. Brief consideration of the Demand Growth
for Agricultural Products

5. A high proportion of the nowadays human population if reflected in this picture ¡¡
As soon as these persons improve their incomes, they automatically migrate to
higher protein consumption what in everyday reality MEANS …..

6. ….a migration of the consunption from rice (hydrocarbons) to
hamburgers (proteins) ¡¡
Source Pict Lester R Brown
WorldWatch Institute

7. This behavior (absolutely hamanitarian, understandable and even absolutelly
desirable) the trend followed in the past and projected for the near future, can be
clearly seen

8. While considering the percapita consumption of grains, feeds proteins ( to produce animal proteins
basically), the sceanrio pointed in the two previous slides, can be clearly seen. To this demands, latelly,
a new one originated on the biofuels production shows up very strongly.
Per cápita indexes 2006=100
Fuente : FAO, USDA y Goldman & Sachs Commodities Research - Gentileza de NOVITAS S.A. www.novitas.com.ar

9. Brief analysis of the past evolution of the
agricultral supply (last forty years) and
consideration of the future projection of it.

10. THE PAST
During the last 40 years, the supply was able to follow (satisfy) the demand by a mechanism
into which mostly the demand tractions the supply and not the other way.
CEREALES: DIFERENCIAS ENTRE LA PRODUCCION
Y EL CONSUMO MUNDIAL
2200
2100 PRODUCCION 50
2000 CONSUMO -17
51 54 39 7 -67
1900 -14
53 38
1800 -20 -30 -85
-93
(mill. de tons.)
1700 80 91 54 -5
-37 -41
-10 -9
1600
57
-43
1500 24 -78
55
1400 69 -41
-5 -21
25
1300 23 -2
27 13
1200
1100 24 30 -33
30
-16 -29
1000
900
66/67
67/68
68/69
69/70
70/71
71/72
72/73
73/74
74/75
75/76
76/77
77/78
78/79
79/80
80/81
81/82
82/83
83/84
84/85
85/86
86/87
87/88
88/89
89/90
90/91
91/92
92/93
93/94
94/95
95/96
96/97
97/98
98/99
99/00
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
Fuente: USDA, Junio 2007
Nóvitas S.A.

11. THE FUTURE
During the present century the population may raise up to 9 to 10
billions persons. Also the estimations are saying that for the same
period we may need somewhere double the actual agricultural
outputs ¡¡
We will have to move from more than two billions tons of grains to
around four billions which approximatelly means to double the
volume of the actual production¡¡

12. Been fully aware of this realities and projections and also with an extremely high level of commitment
assumed in front of such a challenge, Dr. Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace prize 1970 stated what he
named “The greater human challenge for the XXI century”
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2005

13. “We ought to develop the capacity to satisfy
human demands for agricultural outputs
(basically food for humans) and at the same time
achieving the goal in such a way that we can
keep the resources needed to produce them in
good shape”
Source: Dr. N Borlaug Personal Communication
2005

14. For the past 10.000 years –since the origin of agriculture- the process was based in what we can call the
“Tillage Paradigm”. Even this paradigm was useful to feed humanity for 100 centuries (which is is not
a minor merit, asset and extremely relevant achievement), its utilization also caused strong negative
impacts and externalities that we must learn how to avoid in the future…..
Source: Roberto Peiretti-AAPRESID 2011

15. Considering the already achieved level of
knowledge and degree of development in practice
of the No Till System in certain parts of the world,
it becomen not easy to accept than 90 % of the
global agriculture nowadays kept pillared on the
old and already obsolete “Tillage Paradigm” which
endeed is the main factor and carries the largest
responsability for the erosion and degradation that
the soils in particular and the agro-ecosystems in
general keep suffering at the present as we will be
able to observe on next pictures …..

16. EE UU de Norte América
Pict Credit to Dr. Donald Reicosky USA

17. Europa 2009 ¡¡
Pict Credit to Dr Gottlieb Basch ECAF

18. Water Soil Erosion
mainly originated by soil tillage

19. Water Soil Erosion
mainly originated by soil tillage
Picts credit to Luis Cubilas y Erni Schlindwein

20. Picts credit to Luis Cubilas y Erni Schlindwein

21. Wind Soil Erosion caused by tillage

22. EEUU South Dakota 1934
Wind Soil Erosion caused by tillage

23. Year 2002 With this attitudes,
human been looks like
kicking not only two
times (but several times)
the same stone”

24. En cases like those we just considered, 10 to 50 tons of
soils (or even more) are lost per each ton of grain
produced.
ENDEED A COST that humanity can not
keep paying any longer¡¡¡

25. If from now in more the INTELLIGENCE AND
COMMON SENCE WILL BE OUR ROAD MARKS AT
DEVELOPING THE AGRICULTURAL PROCESS..
…… WE WILL OUGHT TO INMEDIATELLY
CHANGE THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND AND CARRY
OUT THE AGRICULTRAL PROCESS AND
MANAGEMENT OF OUR AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS ¡¡
…hence we can ask oursekves …….

26. …… how are going to proceed to enlarge the
agricultural production in a sustainable
fashion and in a sufficient magnitude to be
able to properly provide and satisfy the
future human demand ??

27. To achieve this goal, first of all we ought to abandon
the agricultural model based on tillage and also
find a proper combination between the only two
mechanisms so far known to enlarge the
agricultral production and global supply of
agricultral products ….
namelly …

28. To enlarge producivity and/or …

29. ..to move and expand the agricultural boundaries….

30. Related to this issues what are telling us the analysis of the past and
the projections for the future ….?

31. The enlargement of total production by means of the productivity growth ( achieved within
a sustainable frame), undoubtedly must be the road to follow prioritizing it as much as
possible because …..
… the lower the need to
expand into new area and
natural forests that we like to
keep as much as possible after
feeding humanity ¡¡¡
…. The higher the productivity achieved in a
sustainable fashion at managing the
agro-ecosystems in use ….
Fuente: Roberto Peiretti 2011

32. Unfortunatelly and frequently due to a lack of a proper level of
comprehension, consideration and understanding of the global scenario
and human needs so far analyzed and discussed, the real and true
possibility of improve and enlarge the gloal agricultural production
provision obtained by applying the
New Agricultral Model based on the Maximun Possible Increase of a
Sustainable production and productivity.
Some examples of this miscomprehension and undesirable behaviours and
rules are: ….
1.)The“Precautionary Principle implemented by the EU”. Because of this,
GMO´s are strognly restricted and also trade barriers and limitations are
imposed. 2.) Subsidization policies also harm the global production and
trade by distorting the markets. 3.) Non appropriate consumers education
about the true and real limitations of the gloobal agricultural system.
Based on miths and even “seen ghosts”, frequently they impose “their
concerns” by imposing their wishes to the retailors that in turn press over
the producers (and pretend to oblige) to follow even “nonsense and
unreallistic protocols” to the production and trade process. These
attitudes must be changed if we are to succeed at achieving the absolutelly
needed improvement and evolution of the global farming system ¡¡¡

33. The New Agricultural Paradigm
No Till, MOSHPPA (Modern Sustainable Highly
Productive and Profitable Agricultural Model), and
Biotechnology represents only some of the mega-
constituencies of the model that allows and materialize in
reality a largely more evolved, rational, and intelligent
utilization of the agro-ecosystems.
The general strategy tends to MAXIMIZE the direct
positive impacts and externalities and at the same time
MINIMIZE the negative impacts and externalities.

34. The “Complete Avoidance of Soil Tillage” and the achievement of a “Soil Covered by MOG –Plant
Material Other than Grains” along with the adoption of the principle of “ Soil Nutrition rather than
crop fertilization”, and a proper “Rotational Sequence of Crops”; can be considered as the “key pillars
and factors” that allowed us to evolve towards a Better Farming System ¡¡¡
Source: FREPASIDIAS Paraguay 2009

35. The Need to Gain Carbon into Soil
Tillage flashes flames of fire burning OM and C !
By any mean we ought to avoid tillage¡¡
Gaining Carbon Losing Carbon
Picts Credit to Dr Donald Reicosky Text R Peiretti

36. Fortunately in some parts of the world things have
started to change migrating the agricultural
process toward the New Paradigm and the trend
steadely keeps growing year after year.
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

37. An example
No Tilled Soybean
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

39. Soybean coming in a No Till environment ¡¡¡¡¡

40. Large ampunts of crop residues = well covered soils = Organic Matter increase = Carbon
sequestration = increase of load and activity of soil microbiology and biota = larger nutrient cycling =
to … “ an improoved and better crop environment and system functioning”
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

41. GMO (RR soy in this case) progressing into oats as a cover crop
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

42. Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

43. Great crop development
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

44. The results are largelly satisfactory, but, still we can ask to ourselves ...
Source: G Carballal Text
Roberto Peiretti 2011

45. ….where are located the limits to groth by sustainable PRODUCTIVITY ??

46. ARGENTINA
No Till and MOSHPPA adoption patterns
The certification of the process
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2010

47. Argentina (No Till adoption process in % of the country cultivated area – all extensive crops-). It is
equivalent to 23 millons of hectares under No Till out of the total 30 millions cultivated

48. Some of the
Oustanding Bennefits Achieved
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2010

49. Argentina – Area Cultivada en Millones de Has y Producción de todos los granos en
millones de TN
M Reg Se triplicó la producción
total en veinte años
Siembra Directa-
Biotecnología AMSAP
Productividad Sustentable

50. Certifyed
Agriculture
The evolution of No Till

51. Around 100,000 has are already certifyied across the country
Geographical Distribution of Certifyied Farms

52. CONCLUSIONS
AAPRESID 2005 Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

53. At the present time and with the evidences we already have, we can
consider that the
No Till and the MOSHPA Model Principles are not only useful to..
“ increase PRODUCTIVITY and PROFIT avoiding further
degradation”
but also useful to
“ repair some of the damages caused on the past ”
which after all means to reach a
BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY STAGE
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2011

54. 1998 Starting Point
Convent Plough based
Agriculture
2004 Goal Achieved ¡¡
by applying No Till and
Source: Roberto Peiretti 2005 MOSHPA Model Principles

55. As a final thought related to this vital issues
for humanity all, it appears as extremely
appropriate not to forget that …..

56. … the achievement of a more productive, profitable and
sustainable agriculture constitute goals that can be reached;
so ….
…. I encourage and invite all of you to double our efforts to
suceed at this purpose from which the future of our
civilization as we know it nowadays, strongly depends.¡¡
Thank You Very Much for your Kind Attention.