Transformation of traditional shifting cultivation into permanent cropping systems: a case study in Sarayaku, Ecuador

Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation is common in indigenous societies in the Amazon basin. The large land use of this farming practice is of increasing concern because most indigenous communities are faced with population growth and territory losses. Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility of transforming shifting cultivation into a permanent cropping system by application of Terra Preta practice. For this purpose, an overview of the nutrient cycles of the agroecosystem of an indigenous family in Sarayaku, located in the eastern lowlands of the Ecuadorian Amazon, is provided. Household nutrient input and output data were collected and complemented with information from literature. The balances of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were calculated in five different scenarios: (I) recycling of household waste; (II) recycling of household waste and urine; (III) recycling of household waste, urine, and feces. Whereas the first three scenarios include an external wood source, IV and V additionally integrate a tree plantation. In scenario IV the tree plantation is fertilized only with feces, while in V also with household waste. Even after consideration of nutrient losses, scenarios II to V show potential to accumulate nutrients at the farmland. These results indicate the feasibility of closing nutrient cycles with the purpose to generate permanent farmland by combining knowledge of Terra Preta practice and the way of life of indigenous communities. In a described step by step manner this new agricultural system could be implemented and improve greatly resilience and sustainability of land use in the Amazon

The starting points of the research: regional introduction; 1.2 Residence times of water and dissolved contamination; 1.3 Impacts of potential flash floods from ephemeral and intermittent tributaries; 1.4 Limit the nutrient emissions from netcage aquaculture 4.6 Rethinking the controversial water diversion project (“transposição”)

INNOVATE was a comprehensive, collaborative, and binational research project. It ran from January 2012 through December 2016. Brazil and Brazil’s Northeast in particular suffered from a severe drought period from 2012 onwards. Management and governance of natural resources faced serious challenges related to access to water. Important long-term drivers that call for recurrent adaptation of actions are land use change, population growth, climate change, and conflicts from the multiple uses of water. The scientific project addressed this complex situation through research aimed at suggesting practices and pathways towards ecologically and socioeconomically sound management of land, water and biodiversity. The INNOVATE project had one focus on the entire watershed of the São Francisco River and another one on a portion of the watershed – the Itaparica Reservoir and the semi-arid area north of the artificial lake. Researchers with different backgrounds worked within their disciplines, in groups (interdisciplinary) and together with stakeholders (transdisciplinary). The Guidance Manual is a compilation of actor-relevant content extracted from the scientific research results. Most recommendations put forward can be adapted as principles and standards for reservoir and semi-arid regions elsewhere in the world