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FASHION AND CLIMATE:
Lojas Renner S.A. promotes the use of
agroforestry cotton as a regenerative
solution in the Brazilian Cerrado
COP30, TO BE HELD IN BRAZIL, IS AIMING TO the planet and strategic for climate regulation,
HIGHLIGHT THE VITAL ROLE OF NATURE-BASED combines scientific research, agricultural
SOLUTIONS IN ORDER TO FACE THE GLOBAL CLIMATE innovation and positive social impact. The project
CRISIS. IN TUNE WITH THIS AGENDA, LOJAS RENNER started with the creation of an experimental farm
S.A. IS IMPLEMENTING A PIONEERING PROJECT at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, in the
TO GROW AGROFORESTRY COTTON IN THE municipality of Santo Antônio do Leverger, by
CERRADO BIOME, PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL training 193 people, 77 of whom were women, in
REGENERATION, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND three in-person events, with participants from five
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN THE FASHION CHAIN. traditional communities in the area.
In a scenario where fashion urgently needs to Regenerating the soil, treasuring communities
rethink its practices in the face of a climate and mitigating emissions
emergency and the loss of biodiversity, Lojas In the agroforestry systems implemented as
Renner S.A. is betting on a transformative model: part of the Lojas Renner S.A. project, cotton
growing cotton in agroforestry systems. In cultivation combines different kinds of plants,
partnership with startup company FARFARM and whether agricultural, forest, or fruit plants, in
the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), the same location, with arrangements planned
Lojas Renner S.A. is the first retailer in Brazil in time and space. These systems seek to
to invest in the development of a productive emulate the operation of natural ecosystems,
chain based on regenerative principles from promoting ecological balance and increasing the
agroforestry systems (AFS). resilience of agricultural production. Instead of
homogeneous monocultures, as in a conventional
This initiative, being implemented in the Cerrado cotton crop, these agroforestry systems focuses
biome, one of the most threatened ecoregions in on species diversity, which creates a healthier
environment for soil, water, crops, and people.
This model allows for an increase in biodiversity,
improvements in terms of soil health and carbon
sequestration, in direct alignment with the climate
commitments that will be at the center of the
discussions taking place at COP30.
Among the main discoveries of the research efforts
carried out in the last few years is the finding
that agroforestry systems sequester 18.37 tons
of CO2 per hectare on average (both below and
above the soil), with a projected increase in the
coming years, taking into account the natural
growth of the trees and biomass accumulation.
Another important finding was the increase in
soil microbiological biodiversity. Lab analyses
indicated an average growth of 163% in the
presence of carbon-sequestering microorganisms
when compared to the initial situation in these
areas. Diversity was also reflected above ground,
as approximately 238 trees were planted per
hectare, creating intercrops with agricultural, fruit,
and native species.
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