IFRI researcher Pete Newton recently attended a dialogue on Food, Fuel, Fiber and Forests (the ‘4Fs’), held in the rural Brazilian town of Capão Bonito and organized by The Forests Dialogue. From 11-14 November 2012, approximately 50 representatives from academia, NGOs, government and industry gathered for two days of site visits to agricultural properties of varying sizes, and for one and a half-days of lively discussion and presentations. Pete was there to represent CCAFS, the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security with whom he works. The focus of discussions was on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the trade-offs that result from competing land-uses in the tropics, and particularly in Brazil.

Site visits included a tour of the JFI Silviculture fazenda, which combines eucalyptus plantations and cattle grazing in the same space.