The Organic Research Centre Agroecology and sustainable intensification 1. definitions, practices and systems Prof. Nicolas Lampkin Director Organic Research Centre, Newbury, UK
The Organic Research Centre Acknowledgements • This presentation presents the outcome of work funded by Scottish Natural Heritage on behalf of the UK Nature Conservation Agencies’ Land Use Policy Group. • The report was prepared by a team of authors from the Organic Research Centre and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. • The conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SNH or the LUPG.
The Organic Research Centre What is sustainable intensification? • Producing more with less? (less input per unit output but still more in total?) • Producing more with no added environmental impact? (are current impacts, resource use levels sustainable?) • Producing more with positive environmental impacts (more ecosystem services, natural capital regeneration)? • Producing enough, more efficiently, with positive environmental impacts?
The Organic Research Centre Sustainable intensification should • Mean more than ‘more with less’ • Place increased emphasis on ‘sustainable’ • Actively support environmental protection, production of ecosystem services and regeneration of natural capital alongside production of food etc. • A sufficiency rather than productivist model where consumption issues also addressed
The Organic Research Centre How does SI relate to Pretty’s (1997) vision? • … of an agriculture ‘ relying on the integrated use of a wide range of technologies to manage pests, nutrients, soil and water .’ • … where ‘local knowledge and adaptive methods are stressed rather than comprehensive packages of externally-supplied technologies’ • ‘Regenerative , low-input agriculture, founded on full farmer participation in all stages of development and extension, can be highly productive .’
The Organic Research Centre Agroecology … … is also subject to multiple definitions: • Study of the ecology of agricultural systems • Application of ecology to the design and management of agricultural systems • Social movement for transformation of agriculture and food systems
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The Organic Research Centre Agroforestry
Efficiency – Substitution – Redesign The Organic Research Centre Framework Courtesy of Hill, MacRae and others, dating back to 1980s Conventional Increased intensive efficiency systems l Input substitution l Sustainable System food redesign systems
The Organic Research Centre Agroecology by design requires … • Diversity AND complexity to deliver sustainable, stable, resilient and self-regulating systems. • Multiple components deliver multiple functions ‘The purpose of a functional and self -regulating design is to place elements or components in such a way that each serves the needs and accepts the products of other elements’ ( Mollison) • Functional biodiversity for eco-functional intensification • Systems thinking and application
The Organic Research Centre Systemic approaches • While all these practices can be used by any farmer, the synergies between them mean more benefits if used in systemic framework • Examples include: Integrated Pest, Crop, Farm Management Conservation agriculture Organic farming Agroforestry Permaculture • More or less codified/regulated depending on market context
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The Organic Research Centre Agroecology and sustainable intensification 2. evaluation of performance Prof. Nicolas Lampkin Director Organic Research Centre, Newbury, UK
The Organic Research Centre Evaluations of potential SI contribution Outputs Productivity Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions Biodiversity and related ecosystem services Soil and water resource use/conservation Profitability Denominators Per unit land area or other limiting resource Per tonne produced Per tonne for human consumption (NSO) Literature review – matter of judgement
The Organic Research Centre Impact on productivity Output Agro- Integrated Organic parameter forestry Yield/ha 0 -- + Net system 0 - + output/ha Land equiv- 0 - + alent ratio Labour use + -/+ -/+ efficiency Input use + ++ ++ efficiency
The Organic Research Centre Impact on energy and GHG emissions Output Agro- Integrated Organic parameter forestry Energy use - +/- - cultivations Energy use 0/- -- - other inputs Soil organic 0/+ + ++ carbon Above ground 0 + ++ C sequestration GHG/NH 3 emissions/ha - -- -- per unit food - 0/+ --
The Organic Research Centre Impact on biodiversity Output Agro- Integrated Organic parameter forestry Soil micro- + ++ ++ organisms Invertebrates ++ ++ +++ Plants + ++ +++ Pollinators + ++ ++ Mammals + + ++ Farmland birds + + +/-
Impact on soil and water resources The Organic Research Centre Output Agro- Integrated Organic parameter forestry Reduced soil + ++ +++ erosion Reduced soil ++ + +++ compaction Soil fertility + ++/- ++ improvement Improved water 0/+ ++ ++/- quality Flood mitigation 0 ++ ++ Improve drought 0 + ++ tolerance
Impact on profitability The Organic Research Centre Agro- Output parameter Integrated Organic forestry Output level 0 -- + Enterprise mix value 0 - +/- Variable costs - -- - Fixed costs - 0/+ +/- Infrastructure needs 0 +/- + Premium markets + ++ 0/+ Agri-env. support + ++ [+] Farm profitability 0 0 [+]
The Organic Research Centre Benefit of key practices and approaches 1 Practice/ Product- Energy & Bio- Soil & Profit- approach ivity GHGs diversity water ability Legume +/- + +/++ ++ - leys Organic + + ++ + 0 amends Reduced + + + + + tillage Limit agro- -- + ++ ++ -- chemicals Extended + 0/+ + + +/- rotations Poly- ++ 0/+ + + +/- cultures Variety + 0/+ + 0 0/- mixtures
Benefit of key practices and approaches 2 The Organic Research Centre Practice/ Product- Energy & Bio- Soil & Profit- approach ivity GHGs diversity water ability Field +/- 0/+ +/++ 0/+ +/- margins Biological + 0/+ + 0 + control Diverse + 0/+ + + 0/+ pastures Mix crops/ + 0/+ + + +/- livestock Mix livstck + 0/+ + 0 +/- species Integrated 0 + + + 0/+ farming Organic -- +/0 ++ ++ 0/-- farming Agro- + ++ ++/- ++ +/- forestry
Key issues The Organic Research Centre • Potential for win-win situations in many cases • But also trade-offs between productivity and environment, e.g. in organic case • Land sharing, land sparing and functional biodiversity “ A major argument for wildlife-friendly farming and agroecological intensification is that crucial ecosystem services are provided by ‘planned’ and ‘associated’ biodiversity, whereas the land sparing concept implies that biodiversity in agroecosystems is functionally negligible. ” Tscharntke et al. , 2012 • Access to (and funding of) knowledge and research • Focus on practices or systems? • Role of markets and policy support in compensating for trade-offs and rewarding environmental outputs
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The Organic Research Centre Agroecology and sustainable intensification 3. developing the contribution Prof. Nicolas Lampkin Director Organic Research Centre, Newbury, UK
The Organic Research Centre What do we need to do? • Emphasise ecosystem services and natural capital regeneration as part of sustainable intensification – eco-functional or ecological intensification • Recognise potential of agroecological approaches to deliver this • Develop appropriate evaluation metrics to address local context and system complexity in support of business and policy decision making • Consider/promote agroecological solutions to key problems linked to input use (emissions, pollution, soil erosion, antibiotic resistance, pollinator decline)
The Organic Research Centre What else? • Use agri-environmental support, payment for ecosystem services, and market mechanisms to encourage system change, not just practices • Improve agroecological knowledge exchange and information systems – knowledge intensification • Deepen educational understanding of agroecology at all levels • Support agroecological research and innovation with real participation of users – needs shift from corporate/ technology focus of current funding models
The Organic Research Centre How to achieve this • Build on current good practice and expertise in UK • Make more creative use of EU policy frameworks, in particular rural development and research , including: Establishment of agroforestry Agri-environment/climate Organic farming Advice, training and vocational skills EIP-Agri operational groups • Ensure greater synergies between policies, using strategies and action plans where appropriate
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