Boost ecosystem services through highly Biodiversity-based Mediterranean Farming sYstems. – Biodiversify
Biodiversify aims to make the proof of concept that high species diversification (HSD) effectively provides ecosystem services in substitution for external inputs for improving agroecosystem sustainability and resilience. While these principles are well known, they are still little exploited in practice. Yet, HSD may increase food security and the health of farmers and ecosystems. Three production systems covering a large land use area and a wide gradient of pedo-climatic conditions of the Mediterranean region, farming systems and socio-economic contexts are considered: 1) arable cereal-based systems, 2) vineyards, and 3) olive-based systems. The project will consider conventional and traditional farming in rainfed and irrigated zones located in six countries (Algeria, France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Tunisia). Biodiversify will organise a network of eight case studies that will define key questions to be addressed at the regional and farm levels. Solutions will be co-designed and co-evaluated through participatory workshops. A gradient of HSD solutions based on spatio-temporal species diversification will be analyzed using 1) legumes and neglected species in rotations, 2) multi-service cover crops during fallow period, 3) intercropping of cereal-legume mixtures for grain and forage, and 4) agroforestry for olive-based systems. Biodiversify will support a wider use of species and germplasm/cultivars, including traditional populations from the Mediterranean basin. Complementary approaches and methods including field experiments, knowledge synthesis and modelling will be used to design and assess current and HSD farming systems. Biodiversify will produce a portfolio of scientific and practical information for farmers and stakeholders to foster the adoption of HSD farming systems. It will also communicate towards the society and policy-makers to explain the benefits of developing a sustainable HSD agriculture to address current environmental and social challenges.
Project coordinator
Monsieur Karim Barkaoui (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partner
CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement
UdL Universidad de Lleida
ZALF Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung
AUTH ARISTOTLE University of Thessaloniki
CSG CAUSSADE SEMENCES GROUP
CREA Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria
IO Institut de l'Olivier
INRAE OCCITANIE-MONTPELLIER Fonctionnement et conduite des systèmes de culture tropicaux et méditerranéens
ENSA Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique d'Alger
Help of the ANR 300,000 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
September 2020
- 36 Months