The aim is to extend the pilot to more than 18,000 hectares of farmland in southern Chile.
BioMar
The Chilean salmon producer Multi X and aquaculture feed company BioMar have signed a collaboration agreement to develop a regenerative agriculture pilot project in southern Chile.
The Chilean Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) will lead the technical work, while Cooperativa Agrícola de Granos will oversee the field implementation. This marks the first project of its kind in Chile to be jointly developed by four public and private organisations.
This 24-month initiative will assess regenerative agriculture practices in wheat and pea crops. These crops are locally produced and used within the salmon value chain.
For now, the pilot is being carried out in the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions, with the participation of 14 members of Cooperativa Agrícola de Granos.
The plan is to extend these practices across the cooperative members' total farming area of between 18,000 and 20,000 hectares, allowing regenerative agriculture practices to be implemented on a larger scale in southern Chile.
"We want to assess these practices and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to local farms, contributing to more responsible salmon production at every stage of the value chain," said Michael Adler, Technical Director at BioMar Chile.
In addition, Francisco Lobos, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager at Multi X, said: "One of our key commitments is to continue developing the circular economy and prioritising local suppliers across the salmon value chain."
The experts also hope to develop biodiversity and regeneration indicators and provide relevant information to support decision-making in both the salmon farming industry and the financial sector.
"For Chilean agriculture, earning the trust of industries with high standards, such as salmon farming, is important. This comparative study should provide a clearer understanding of the standards applied to annual crop production in Chile," concluded Mauricio Magnasco, General Manager of Cooperativa Agrícola de Granos.