Pre-announcement of the 2021 Joint Call on “Circularity in mixed crop and livestock farming systems, with emphasis on greenhouse gas mitigation”
In former times mixed crop-livestock farming was common practice in many areas of Europe. Since the 1960s however, crop and livestock production became increasingly specialised and less connected. The consequences of this development are, among others, higher regional concentrations of animals, large-scale imports of feed, simplification of crop rotations, higher use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, and landscape homogenisation. This has contributed to water contamination, loss of soil quality, climate change and decline of biodiversity.
This call is about research on (re-) integration of crop and livestock farming systems with the aim to enhance circularity between these systems and thereby improve the sustainability of farms.
In this call, circularity integrates crops, animals and soil as cornerstones of sustainable agricultural production. Circularity aims at closing the loop of resources. In research, naturally, this requires a systems approach. The development or comparison of whole systems needs to be ”grounded“ by links to real life examples of agriculture and the investigation of selected key elements requires a description of the role and interaction of these elements in the system.
To exploit the potential of a (re-) combination of crop and livestock farming under the concept of circularity requires renewed knowledge that fits current production and market conditions. Good practices are always context specific and require a thorough understanding of the system. Actual resource availability may depend on regional logistic infrastructure, value chains and business models, and partnership will determine what will be produced, by whom and how. Competition between food and feed for animals as well as for biogas and energy crops must be avoided even though they may all be part of the system, and the emissions of GHGs must be minimised with regard to the overall sum of products and services delivered. Linear approaches need to be complemented or replaced by more holistic approaches.
Proposals must:
a) Focus on mixed crop-livestock farming systems. These systems can occur within single farms or can be achieved by connecting separate crop and livestock farms.
- Livestock farming includes the major terrestrial species (e.g. beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs & poultry), but may include other (e.g. rabbits or honey bees)
- Crops are primarily meant to be arable crops here, but cropping systems may include grassland swards, horticulture, biomass crops and agroforestry
b) Address the monitoring and/or mitigation of GHGs from agriculture or agroforestry.
c) Contain an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) dimension, for example the use of sensors, communication technologies, data analytics, modelling, robotics, precision farming or decision support systems.
d) Take a systems approach. The circular economy approach to mixed crop-livestock production will include synergy and complementarity with sectors such as environmental protection. These could include, for example, soil quality; biodiversity; adaptation to climate change; increased protein autonomy; business models and consumer oriented approaches; or the limitations or trade-offs that may occur within mixed systems.
To date the following countries are funding the 2021 Joint call: Belgium – Flanders, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Basque government, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Further information on the call is published on the webpages of the ERA-NETs. The call-launch with full details of scope, application process and timeline is foreseen for early February 2021.
