Acre, Brazil pilots coffee‑waste fertilizers and agroforestry to boost soil health

Researchers from Embrapa Acre visited farms in Acrelândia, Cruzeiro do Sul and Mâncio Lima to evaluate coffee husk and straw as low‑cost organic fertilizers. The trials aim to lower the reliance of local producers on expensive chemical inputs and to use the coffee processing residue for thermal energy in grain‑drying operations.

In parallel, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM) is implementing the EU‑funded “Recuperação Produtiva de Paisagens Resilientes” project in the Vale do Juruá. The program assists family farmers in restoring degraded soils through agroforestry, diversification of crops such as fruit, coffee, cacao and watermelon, and the introduction of sustainable soil‑amelioration practices. Both initiatives seek to increase productivity while avoiding new deforestation.

Together, the projects illustrate a regional push toward more resilient, low‑cost agricultural practices in the state of Acre.