Currently, sustainable intensification is a strategic priority for the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries (MGAP). Dr. Francisco Rosas, professor, researcher, and chair of Statistics and Econometrics at Universidad ORT Uruguay, and economist Mariela Buonomo, from the MGAP’s Office of Agricultural Programming and Policy, examined how it is applied in Uruguay in their article “Conceptual Framework for the Development of the Agricultural Sector Based on Sustainable Intensification.”
What is the article about?
Its aim is to develop a conceptual framework for sustainable intensification in the agricultural sector in Uruguay. It is a concept used by many public and private institutions—especially public ones, starting with the government. It is important to understand what one is committing to once this concept is adopted as a way to define agricultural production.
In this study, we draw on recent international literature. We apply it to the Uruguayan context, relating it to our natural resources, identifying which aspects of that concept are most relevant to us, and examining the tensions and synergies that exist in agricultural production when environmental and productive considerations are weighed against one another.
What is the main conclusion?
The concept of sustainable intensification in agriculture is not easy to implement. One must recognize that there are both synergies and, above all, tensions involved in aligning with society as a whole.
Taking these factors into account is not easy. One should not simply use the concept as wishful thinking. One should be more rational. Especially given what one is committing to when one says that the country’s production must be environmentally sustainable while at the same time increasing output.
The article offers a theoretical framework for the concept of productive development governance. How does it do so?
There is a narrative that seeks to define agricultural production, and it is adopted as a strategic priority of the government. The article calls for the government to adopt a broad yet rigorous approach.
I believe it provides a rigorous conceptual framework for understanding government or public actors. It exists; it is not made up. There is literature that supports it. We need to specify which aspects of that literature are relevant to the Uruguayan case.
What data did they rely on to reach that conclusion?
Data on Uruguay from two sources: publicly available information and other freely accessible information on the characteristics of natural resources in Uruguay.
An important part of the data involves identifying existing public policies related to sustainable intensification. In addition, there is an international literature review on other ways in which the concept has been applied.
Did it have an impact on the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries?
Yes. Now has greater has to the discourse compared to what was being said a year or two ago, when one could argue that the language used to describe what sustainable intensification entails was far more hollow.
The Ministry now has a clearer understanding of exactly what the concept entails. While the policies remain the same, there is a better understanding of the trade-offs involved in balancing environmental and productive considerations within the same objective.
Technical Series:
No. 227. Challenges of Sustainable Intensification for Public Policy. INIA-OPYPA/MGAP Agreement.
Article:
"Conceptual Framework for Agricultural Sector Development Based on Sustainable Intensification."
Editors:
José E. Bervejillo (OPYPA)
Authors:
Mariela Buonomo, Francisco Rosas.
Publication date:
2016.
Interview with Francisco Rosas on Radio Carve:
Extensive agriculture was practiced in a way that “was perceived as unsustainable”