Management of agroecology for

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• Management of agro-ecology for
• eco-functional intensive systems
• Cristina Micheloni AIAB, Italy
• in co-operation with Niels Alberg, ICROFS, Urs
  Niggli and Otto Schmid, FIBL

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• Needs for agricultural research for from AIAB
  point of view
• interprofessional association
• link to organic farming
• but valid for agriculture as a whole
• to serve all society needs

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• Can organic systems be intensified?
• To intensify environmental services and not only
  production
• food/feed/fiber etc. but as well biodiversity,
  landscape, energy and water use, climate change
  mitigation, animal welfare ....

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• organic systems are already at high
  environmental performance

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Aubert, 2007
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Niggli et al., 2009,
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organic andbiodiversity
Hole et al., 2005
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• But still with some weaknesses (compared with
  conventional) Crops
• Wheat 29 less energy use/tonne
• Leeks 58 less
• Carrots 25 less
• Potatoes 2 more
• Tomatoes 30 more
• Livestock
• Milk/Beef 38/35 less
• Pigmeat 13 less
• Eggs 14 more
• Chicken 32 more

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• The concept of eco-functional intensification
• EFI is a more efficient use of natural resources
  and processes, improved nutrient recycling
  techniques, and innovative agro-ecological
  methods for enhancing the diversity and the
  health of soils, crops and livestock.
• Such intensification builds on the knowledge of
  all stakeholders involved, and relies on powerful
  information and decision-making tools in
  combination with new research knowledge and tools
  in the biological and ecological sciences.
  Eco-functional intensification is characterized
  by cooperation and synergy between different
  components of agro-eco systems and food systems,
  with the aim of enhancing the productivity and
  stability of the agro-ecosystems, and the health
  of all components.

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• conventional intensification
• more energy,
• more nutrients
• more water
• sometimes also more labour per
  hectare
• eco-functional intensification
• More farmer knowledge per hectare
• Higher complexity per land area (at farm and
  regional level)?
• Better (and not destructive) use of supporting,
  regulating, cultural and preserving eco-system
  services for food and fibre production,
• better use of natural compounds
• better exploiting the genetic variability
• clever use of low risk modern technologies

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• eco-functional intensification
• some existing examples
• Mediterranean policulture
• Animal husbandry and biogas production
• Functional biodiversity
• Participatory breeding

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• eco-functional intensification
• in vegetables...still complex
• and not always rentable

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• eco-functional intensification
• in fruit production...still
  complex
• but innovation is
• taking place

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• eco-functional intensification and resilience

• Adaptive management by community knowledge and
  knowledge-intensive farming methods (Borron,
  2006).
• Resilience within agro-ecosystems
• Soils fertility building, physical soil
  properties (Reganold, 1987, Mäder et al., 2002,
  Pimentel et al., 2005).
• Above and below ground macro and micro flora
  fauna (Hole et al., 2005 Bengtsson et al, 2005).
• Crop diversity in time and space (rotations,
  agroforestry)?
• Genetic diversity in crops through on farm
  selection (Kotschi, 2006).

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• What is the vision and what are the challenges
  identified for eco functional intensification?

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Securing food and ecosystems by eco-functional
intensification

Vision 2025
By 2025, the availability of food and the
stability of food supply will be noticeably
increased through eco-functional intensification,
and access to food will be considerably improved
thanks to revitalized rural areas (see 7.1).
Knowledge among farmers about how to manage
ecosystem services in a sustainable way will be
much greater, and animal welfare and
environmentally sound farming will
be cutting-edge technologies in food production.
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Securing food and ecosystems by eco-functional
intensification
Key challenge 1 Improved ecological support
functions Key challenge 2 Modern mixed farming
systems Key challenge 3 Resilient organic crop
production systems Key challenge 4 Appropriate
and robust livestock production Key challenge 5
Green improvement of genetic resources Key
challenge 6 Development and adaptation of novel
technology Key challenge 7 Technology assessment
and cross disciplinary evaluation Other proposals
for key challenges and research goals (cross
cutting issues)?
TP Organics Technology Platform for organic
food and farming www.tporganics.eu
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Know more and participate www.tporganics.eu