Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Is the acrocomia palm an option for degraded lands in smallholder’ farms? A cost-benefit analysis

¹University of Hohenheim, Global Food Security and Ecosystems Research Center, Germany
²University of Hohenheim, Dept. Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy, Germany
³University of Hohenheim, Inst. of Agric. Sci. in the Tropics, Acrocomia Hub, Germany
⁴University of Hohenheim, Dept. Agricultural and Food Policy, Germany
⁵University of Hohenheim, Agricultural and Food Policy, Germany
⁶Federal University of Viçosa, Dept. of Agronomy, Brazil

Abstract

Acrocomia aculeata (“macauba”), is a palm native to the neotropics and currently introduced as a novel oil crop in Brazil. Macauba palms thrive in a variety of soils and environments, including degraded soils. The properties of the macauba oils, the different fruit by-products, its high yields, and adaptability outside tropical rainforests make it a promising and sustainable oil alternative. Brazil has over 109.7 million hectares of degraded land. Currently different nature-based solutions are explored to foster land restoration, among these, the integration of macauba palms in degraded areas of smallholder farms through agroforestry systems is currently developing in Brazil. Macaúba cultivation on smallholder farms leads to new value chains, while creating opportunities for diversifying rural income sources and promote ecosystem services. We conducted an empirical study, along with a Cost-Benefit Analysis, to assess the profitability of the implementation of macauba in one hectare of degraded land with smallholder farmers under an outgrower scheme. Our findings suggest that smallholder macauba farmers located in the region of Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, perceive positively their engagement in outgrower schemes. Farmers consider this strategy as an opportunity to obtain further revenue streams from their land. Said farmers carry out other principal agricultural activities, while implementing macauba in other plots of their land, namely degraded pastureland. Areas planted with macauba can provide space for cattle grazing after the palm plantation is established (year 4-5), resulting in silvopastoral systems, however this raises concerns regarding land limitations and changes in agricultural practices during this establishment period. Considering that the management and care of the palm is carried by the farmer, this results in additional costs in terms of labour required. Preliminary findings show that, at current economic conditions, the implementation of macauba in one hectare of degraded land yields a higher NPV in comparison to the normal pastureland use. Macauba cultivation could be an economically viable alternative to support smallholders in the rehabilitation of degraded pasturelands through silvopastoral systems, however, plantations are currently in an early stage of development, and the full fruit production won’t come until following years, leaving uncertainty regarding its full potential.

Keywords: Acrocomia, agroforestry, bioeconomy, Brazil, degraded land, macaúba, silvopastoral systems. , smallholder farming

Contact Address: Diego Alberto Lopez, University of Hohenheim, Global Food Security and Ecosystems Research Center, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany, e-mail: diegoalberto.lopezuni-hohenheim.de