Accelerating the transition to agroecology through Living Labs
Europe’s food production and land use practices have ensured food security, but at a cost: the agricultural sector accounts for over 10 % of EU greenhouse gas emissions(opens in new window). “For European agriculture to adapt to pressures such as climate change, reduced biodiversity and depleted soil and water resources, it must pursue alternatives to the model of highly intensive and input-dependent systems,” says Ulrike Ziegler, scientific officer at Projektträger Jülich(opens in new window) (PTJ). “Agroecology offers that.” Such an agricultural paradigm shift in science, policy and practice must be balanced against a continued reliable provision of food for a growing European, and indeed global, population. Member States, regions and associated countries, alongside research organisations and the European Commission, have joined forces to realise these ambitions in the AGROECOLOGY(opens in new window) Partnership, coordinated by PTJ in Germany under the leadership of Ziegler, and co-coordinated by ANR(opens in new window) in France. The Partnership has an expected duration of 7-10 years, with a tentative total budget of EUR 300 million, half of which is provided by the EU. The initiative involves so far 74 partners from 26 countries and regions. Aligned with the European Green Deal(opens in new window), AGROECOLOGY is working to forge productive and prosperous farming systems that are resilient and place-sensitive, while being climate-, environment-, ecosystem-, biodiversity- and people-friendly. “This is the first integrated European attempt to monitor agroecological transitions across environmental, social, economic and governance dimensions, and at various scales, with diverse stakeholders developing innovative tools and new thinking,” notes Ziegler.
Building the foundations of evidence-based practices
Against a background of increased agricultural vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, the agricultural sector also faces growing public and media scrutiny about its carbon footprint. Additionally, there are significant disparities within the agricultural sector. Approaches and their impacts are context-specific and vary across farms and regions. Consequently, a key focus of the Partnership is to monitor the performance and impacts of the agroecological transition, ensuring sustainability (economic, environmental and social) and equity. “Guided by participatory techniques, we are identifying what key dimensions and indicators to monitor; what data, scales and methods to use; and who the key stakeholders are. This will help build a coherent yet flexible foundation for evidence-based policy and practice,” explains Ziegler.
Facilitating a co-created agricultural transition
AGROECOLOGY is also building a network of agroecology Living Labs and research infrastructures to drive collaboration and exchange among members. Currently consisting of 55 members across 16 European countries, the network is identifying specific support needs for impactful co-created place-based innovations, and knowledge production and sharing. Up to seven transnational co-funded calls for proposals are planned within the Partnership to tackle various challenges. The first 19 co-funded projects are already running, covering activities in both conventional and organic farming(opens in new window). While based on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda(opens in new window), the co-funded calls will be flexible enough to encompass evolving needs and challenges of the Partnership. “Countries, regions and our scoping team will collaborate to ensure the necessary scientific research and innovation at different scales for the agroecology transition. Simultaneously, agroecology research will benefit organic farming and help tackle its challenges,” adds Ziegler. An annual Expert Panel for Agroecology Transitions (EPAT) has been established, bringing scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders together to discuss policy implications from AGROECOLOGY’s findings, supported by National Mirror Projects and the CORE Organic Network(opens in new window). The AGROECOLOGY team will also develop joint training for scientists and civil servants to improve science advisory services to policymakers, while also creating policy benchmarks showcasing the most effective national and regional interventions, and identifying policy enablers and barriers for transformative governance by local communities.