Efforts have previously focused on the effects of farming systems and practices on crop yields and quality and delivery of ecosystem services, and little attention has been paid on the economic, social and cultural effects of these systems/practices. Few show data about the positive effects of crop diversification on farm productivity and ecosystem services, and even less about the reduction in economic and environmental costs. Moreover, previous projects did not provide sound scientific data about the adaptation pathways of the value chain to crop diversification. Within Diverfarming, the most adequate crop associations by technical, economic, social, cultural and environmental terms, agreed by all actors, have been assessed. Diverfarming perceives the European agricultural sector as a whole, but addressed under different approaches according to the specific needs, strengths, barriers and opportunities of each agroecosystem. Application of a bottom-up decision-making process through a multicriteria model and multi-actor approach is novel in agrarian management.
The outputs of Diverfarming are: Decision Support Tool "SusDiver" (RP4), Guidelines for sustainable diversified cropping systems (RP4), Protocol for the correct implementation of diversified systems (RP4), Methodological guidelines and toolbox for value chain adaptation (RP4), Qualified machinery prototype for intercropping (RP4), Communities of Practitioners as volunteer early adopter farmers and agribusinesses recruited to develop diversified cropping systems in their farming systems as real scenarios, and ensure longevity beyond the project (RP2); White Paper to scientifically support relevant policies (RP4).
The potential impacts of the project are: a) higher arable land productivity, and land-equivalent ratio, b) diversification and increase of farmers’ revenues by access to new markets and reduced economic risk, c) lower environmental impact of diversified cropping systems, d) improved delivery of ecosystem services, e) organization of resource-efficient value chains and decreased use of energy, f) market provision of food, feed and industrial products from diversified cropping systems, g) increased awareness and knowledge exchanges among actors, h) support to relevant EU policies, i) territorial cohesion benefits from enhanced agricultural productivity and more resilient agricultural holdings, j) strengthening of the competitiveness of a range of companies and organizations active in the value chain and bioeconomy, by creating opportunities for growth and new job positions. These impacts have been validated in RP4, with the identification of possible barriers, drawbacks and trade-offs.
