Plant-based agroforestry can double income of Brazilian rural producers, ProVeg Brazil has found
A press conference being held at this year’s UN climate summit, COP30, will discuss how farmers who switch from animal-based farming to plant-based agroforestry can double their income.
The press conference will take place in Area D of the Blue Zone of COP30 in Belém, Brazil on Wednesday, 19 November from 12 noon to 12.30pm local time.
Research unveiled by ProVeg Brazil at COP30 at the weekend revealed that transitioning from livestock farming to plant-based agroforestry can increase the net income of Brazilian rural producers by 110% per hectare.
In exceptional cases, such as when low-productivity cattle farming gives way to a high value and biodiverse plant-based agroforestry, with differentiated products reaching specialised markets, an income increase of up to 1,525% can be achieved.
“Brazil doesn’t need to choose between a strong economy and climate protection,” Aline Baroni, executive director of ProVeg Brazil, said.
“Our findings show that plant-based agroforestry systems are key to a more resilient and equitable food production matrix, capable of generating more value on the same land area currently used for livestock farming, as well as regenerating degraded areas, creating more jobs and producing more protein.”
The study, co-ordinated by ProVeg Brazil and carried out by Brazil’s Agroecology Cooperative Organization (OCA), serves to lay out a sustainable rural development route for Brazilian farmers, as well as cutting the countries’ emissions.
A pilot project for the transition is being carried out in Paraná
In the municipality of Ortigueira, Paraná, a family farmer has begun transitioning from livestock farming to a plant-based agroforestry system in a pilot project by ProVeg Brazil.
The Cultiva Project is offering free technical support to the farmer to gradually replace dairy and beef cattle with an agroforestry system where he will produce beans, corn, bananas, watermelon, papaya, and pumpkin, which will supply the region’s school canteens.
In a few years, coffee and yerba mate production will begin. Reforestation work, through the planting of native Atlantic Forest tree seedlings, is also being carried out as a fundamental part of the agroforestry system.
“In our assessment, we observed that animal production was not profitable for the producer and implied limitations such as a lack of agricultural diversity, limited autonomy, and a loss of quality of life,” Baroni said.
“The expectation is that plant-based production will generate income more than 10 times higher than that of animals in the first year of transition,” she said.
The transition plan was developed in direct collaboration between ProVeg Brazil and the producer, also counting on important contributions from the Federation of Rural Workers and Family Farmers of Paraná, and the Rural Workers’ Union of Ortigueira. Planting began in October 2025 and the first seeds have already started to sprout.
“This pilot project will demonstrate, in practice, the viability and economic and technical benefits of transitioning from livestock farming to agroforestry systems, inspiring public policies that more broadly promote fairer and more sustainable agriculture,” Baroni said.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries about ProVeg Brazil, contact Victoria Sena at [email protected].
For inquiries to ProVeg International, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.
