• Energy Research

Crop diversification represents a key lever to support the development of sustainable agri-food systems. Knowledge on trade-offs and carry over effects from different crop diversification strategies is essential to inform agricultural stakeholders of potential costs and benefits. This knowledge is limited by existing data and performance measures predominantly focused on single crops, rather than complete rotations. Moreover, sustainability performance indicators are often used for assessment purposes, rather than supporting stakeholder learning and actions. A new set of 32 indicators was developed to address these needs, and used to evaluate the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the diversified agricultural systems highlighted in the case studies, which are often characterized by data availability constraints. This approach was tested in France, Germany and Italy to determine a critical ex-post diagnosis of the existing systems, and for the assessment of ex-ante innovative scenarios. The results will be used to support these case studies in the identification and design of more sustainable agricultural systems. Although the framework is based on feasible and proxy indicators, the assessment outcomes have allowed local actors to reflect on the effects generated by the implemented crop diversification strategies. Key issues include trade-offs occurring between optimizing economic and environmental performance.

The implementation of agroecology principles within organic farming research is a crux to redesign sustainable agri-food systems. To govern this transition, the local research demand should be addressed by direct engagement of all stakeholders in the research process. The first step is the involvement of farmers and technicians, with the aim of restoring their decision-making role, switching governance to local scale. The co-design/co-management of Long-Term Experiments (LTEs) can be crucial to govern the above-described transition through networking and participatory activities. In this study, we report the experience of co-designing a new LTE in Southern Italy by local actors and scientists. Through a participatory action research methodology, an LTE was considered as a biophysical component of an agroecological living lab, a public–private environment aimed to design a local food system. The setup of parallel field trials in satellite farms stands for the other biophysical component, whereas the stakeholder platform represents the social one. Through definition of common objectives, a step-by-step process is presented, which highlights the interest of local organic actors to share ideas and perspectives for the territory, pointing out the inclusion of end-users (the consumers) in the process to complete the transition to sustainable food systems.

Oral presentation "The role of the multi-criteria assessment to support transition towards sustainable agricultural systems based on crop diversification - The DiverIMPACTs framework" presented at the XIII National Conference on "Biodiversity 2021" organized by the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE) of the University of Foggia, 7-9 September 2021.

Abstract Although organic farming was originally promoted as an alternative farming system to address agronomic, environmental and ecological issues, its conventionalisation has led to an intensification and specialisation of production. In the light of this, several studies have questioned the environmental benefits of organic farming as well as its agronomic viability. Thus, there is a need to improve organic vegetable systems to reduce their environmental impact without affecting their productivity. To tackle this challenge, European farmers and researchers have recently started to focus on agroecological service crops (ASCs). However, few studies have simultaneously evaluated the agronomic, environmental and ecological aspects of ASC management under different European pedo‐climatic conditions. We evaluated effects of the ASC management strategies—no‐till roller crimping (NT‐RC) and green manuring (T‐GM) on cropping system performance using agronomic, environmental and ecological indicators—to exemplify the need for multidimensional analysis to understand management implications for addressing environmental and agronomic challenges. We combined the results from 11 organic vegetable field trials conducted in seven European countries over a period of 2 years to test for general trends. Our results provide solid evidence that NT‐RC management across different pedo‐climatic conditions in Europe enhances the activity density of ground and rove beetles and improves both the potential energy recycling within the system and weed control. However, in NT‐RC plots, lower cash crop yield and quality, energetic efficiency of production and activity density of spiders were observed compared to T‐GM. Synthesis and applications. Multidimensional analyses using agronomic, environmental and ecological indicators are required to understand the implications of agricultural management in agroecosystem functioning. Introducing agroecological service crops combined with the use of no‐till roller crimping is a promising strategy for improving agronomic performance (e.g. fewer weeds) and reducing environmental (e.g. increasing the potentially recyclable energy) and ecological (e.g. enhancing the activity density of beneficial taxa such as ground and rove beetles) impacts. However, our study also indicates a need for agronomic and environmental improvements while promoting a wider acceptance of this strategy.