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López I Losada R, Rosenbaum RK, Brady MV, Wilhelmsson F, Hedlund K. Agent-Based Life Cycle Assessment enables joint economic-environmental analysis of policy to support agricultural biomass for biofuels. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170264. [PMID: 38253104 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Production of agricultural biofuels is expected to rise due to increasing climate change mitigation ambitions. Policy interventions promoting targeted bioenergy solutions can be motivated by the large environmental externalities present in agricultural systems and the local context of biomass production co-benefits. Introducing energy crops in crop rotations in arable land with depleted Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) levels offers the potential to increase SOC stocks and future crop yields as a step towards more sustainable agricultural systems. However, the environmental performance of a policy incentive for energy crops with SOC co-benefits is less evident when considering its land-use effects within and outside of the target agricultural system. We study the potential impacts of a change in agricultural policy on regional agricultural structure and production, and the environment with an Agent-Based Life Cycle Assessment approach. We simulate a policy payment that would achieve adoption of grass leys in crop rotations corresponding to 25 % of the highly productive land in an intensive farming region of southern Sweden. Although enhancing soil health in SOC-depleted farming regions is a desirable environmental objective, its significance is limited within the life-cycle performance of the payment. Instead, crop-displacement impacts and the grass potential as biofuel feedstock are the main drivers. The active utilisation of grasses for biofuel purposes is key in reaching a positive environmental evaluation of the policy instrument. Our environmental evaluation is likely generalisable to other regions with similar technological levels and farming intensity, while our analysis on structural shifts is specific to the policy instrument and agricultural production system under study. Overall, our work provides a method to contrast regional effects and global environmental impacts of policy instruments supporting agricultural biomass for biofuels prior to implementation. This contributes to the environmental assessment of land-based biofuels at a time when their sustainability is highly debated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raül López I Losada
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Ralph K Rosenbaum
- Sustainability in Biosystems Research Programme, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark V Brady
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; AgriFood Economics Centre, Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 220 07 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Katarina Hedlund
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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2
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Secchi S. The role of conservation in United States' agricultural policy from the Dust Bowl to today: A critical assessment. AMBIO 2024; 53:421-434. [PMID: 37889461 PMCID: PMC10837406 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01949-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Historical evidence shows that environmental issues have been secondary to United States' agricultural policy since the first farm bill in 1933. The farm sector has undergone massive changes in technology and farming practices, but the environmental problems it causes have remained ancillary to productivist goals. Agri-environmental policy has continued to rely on subsidies and voluntary farmer participation, while combining environmental objectives with price and income support aims. The faith of agri-environmental programs is largely determined by what is desirable for safety net purposes, and in times of high crop and livestock prices and increased environmental pressures conservation is particularly underfunded. Additionally, monitoring and program assessment are poorly structured. This is particularly concerning today given the threats of climate change and agriculture's contribution to it. A major rethinking of these taxpayer-funded programs is necessary to improve their effectiveness. Programs should focus on environmental outcomes and monitoring and assessment should be strengthened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Secchi
- Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, University of Iowa, 302 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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3
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Bullock JM, Jarvis SG, Fincham WNW, Risser H, Schultz C, Spurgeon DJ, Redhead JW, Storkey J, Pywell RF. Mapping the ratio of agricultural inputs to yields reveals areas with potentially less sustainable farming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168491. [PMID: 37952662 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Fertilisers and pesticides are major sources of the environmental harm that results from farming, yet it remains difficult to target reductions in their impacts without compromising food production. We suggest that calculating the ratio of agrochemical inputs to yield can provide an indication of the potential sustainability of farmland, with those areas that have high input relative to yield being considered as less sustainable. Here we design an approach to characterise such Input to Yield Ratios (IYR) for four inputs that can be plausibly linked to environmental impacts: the cumulative risk resulting from pesticide exposure for honeybees and for earthworms, and the amount of nitrogen or phosphorus fertiliser applied per unit area. We capitalise on novel national-scale data to assess IYR for wheat farming across all of England. High-resolution spatial patterns of IYR differed among the four inputs, but hotspots, where all four IYRs were high, were in key agricultural regions not usually characterised as having low suitability for cropping. By scaling the magnitude of each input against crop yield, the IYR does not penalise areas of high yield with higher inputs (important for food production), or areas with low yields but which are achieved with low inputs (important as low impact areas). Instead, the IYR provides a globally applicable framework for evaluating the broad patterns of trade-offs between production and environmental risk, as an indicator of the potential for harm, over large scales. Its use can thus inform targeting to improve agricultural sustainability, or where one might switch to other land uses such as ecosystem restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan G Jarvis
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK
| | | | - Hannah Risser
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK
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4
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Selva N, Bautista C, Fernández-Gil A, de Gabriel Hernando M, García-Rodríguez A, Naves J, Calzada J, Díaz-Fernández M, Díaz-Vaquero V, Leonard JA, Morales-González A, Naves-Alegre L, Quevedo M, Salado I, Vilà C, Revilla E. FAIR data would alleviate large carnivore conflict. Science 2023; 382:893-894. [PMID: 37995234 DOI: 10.1126/science.adl6080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31120 Kraków, Poland
- Departamento de Ciencias Integradas, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Física, Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carlos Bautista
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Alberto Fernández-Gil
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | | | - Javier Naves
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Javier Calzada
- Departamento de Ciencias Integradas, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Física, Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
| | - Manuel Díaz-Fernández
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Vanessa Díaz-Vaquero
- Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Oviedo-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Principality of Asturias, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Jennifer A Leonard
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ana Morales-González
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Lara Naves-Alegre
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Mario Quevedo
- Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Oviedo-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Principality of Asturias, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - Isabel Salado
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carles Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Eloy Revilla
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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5
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Morkunas M, Volkov A. The Progress of the Development of a Climate-smart Agriculture in Europe: Is there Cohesion in the European Union? ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 71:1111-1127. [PMID: 36648532 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01782-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The development of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is crucial in ensuring the creation of a low-carbon society and mitigation of climate change. These tasks require concerted actions from multiple stakeholders since the very concept of CSA is rather complex and requires multi-dimensional consideration. This study defines and applies various indicators to evaluate the development of CSA in the European Union (EU). To do this, three different multi-criteria decision-making methods, namely Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR; multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution), were employed for the construction of a composite indicator. A combination of both objective (entropy) and subjective (Analytic Hierarchy Process) weighting techniques was utilized to derive the weights of the indicators. The leaders in the EU in terms of CSA are Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands, whereas the countries with the lowest levels of CSA development are Cyprus, Greece and Portugal. This study also revealed divergence in the development of these practices in the EU-24 for the period 2004-2019. Thus, a more inclusive approach is needed to ensure the spread of climate-smart ideas in European agriculture sectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mangirdas Morkunas
- Faculty of Economics and Business administration, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Artiom Volkov
- Department of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre of Social Sciencies, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Cuadros-Casanova I, Cristiano A, Biancolini D, Cimatti M, Sessa AA, Mendez Angarita VY, Dragonetti C, Pacifici M, Rondinini C, Di Marco M. Opportunities and challenges for Common Agricultural Policy reform to support the European Green Deal. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14052. [PMID: 36661057 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the European Union's main instrument for agricultural planning, with a new reform approved for 2023-2027. The CAP intends to align with the European Green Deal (EGD), a set of policy initiatives underpinning sustainable development and climate neutrality in the European Union (EU), but several flaws cast doubts about the compatibility of the objectives of these 2 policies. We reviewed recent literature on the potential of CAP environmental objectives for integration with the EGD: protection of biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable management of natural resources. The CAP lacks appropriate planning measures, furthering instead risks to biodiversity and ecosystem services driven by landscape and biotic homogenization. Funding allocation mechanisms are not tailored to mitigate agricultural emissions, decreasing the efficiency of climate mitigation actions. The legislation subsidies farmers making extensive use of synthetic inputs without adequately supporting organic production, hindering the transition toward sustainable practices. We recommend proper control mechanisms be introduced in CAP Strategic Plans from each member state to ensure the EU is set on a sustainable production and consumption path. These include proportional assignment of funds to each CAP objective, quantitative targets to set goals and evidence-based interventions, and relevant indicators to facilitate effective monitoring of environmental performance. Both the CAP and the EGD should maintain ambitious environmental commitments in the face of crisis to avoid further degradation of the natural resources on which production systems stand.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Cristiano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Dino Biancolini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Cimatti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Antonio Sessa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Dragonetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Pacifici
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Rondinini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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7
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Egger C, Mayer A, Bertsch-Hörmann B, Plutzar C, Schindler S, Tramberend P, Haberl H, Gaube V. Effects of extreme events on land-use-related decisions of farmers in Eastern Austria: the role of learning. AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2023; 43:39. [PMID: 37200584 PMCID: PMC10176289 DOI: 10.1007/s13593-023-00890-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
European farm households will face increasingly challenging conditions in the coming decades due to climate change, as the frequency and severity of extreme weather events rise. This study assesses the complex interrelations between external framework conditions such as climate change or adjustments in the agricultural price and subsidy schemes with farmers' decision-making. As social aspects remain understudied drivers for agricultural decisions, we also consider value-based characteristics of farmers as internal factors relevant for decision-making. We integrate individual learning as response to extreme weather events into an agent-based model that simulates farmers' decision-making. We applied the model to a region in Eastern Austria that already experiences water scarcity and increasing drought risk from climate change and simulated three future scenarios to compare the effects of changes in socio-economic and climatic conditions. In a cross-comparison, we then investigated how farmers can navigate these changes through individual adaptation. The agricultural trajectories project a decline of active farms between -27 and -37% accompanied by a reduction of agricultural area between -20 and -30% until 2053. The results show that regardless of the scenario conditions, adaptation through learning moderates the decline in the number of active farms and farmland compared to scenarios without adaptive learning. However, adaptation increases the workload of farmers. This highlights the need for labor support for farms. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13593-023-00890-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine Egger
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Mayer
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bastian Bertsch-Hörmann
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Plutzar
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Schindler
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Community Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Community Ecology and Conservation Research Group, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Tramberend
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Haberl
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Gaube
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
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8
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Beery T, Stahl Olafsson A, Gentin S, Maurer M, Stålhammar S, Albert C, Bieling C, Buijs A, Fagerholm N, Garcia‐Martin M, Plieninger T, M. Raymond C. Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Beery
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Sustainable Multifunctional Landscapes, Kristianstad University Kristianstad Sweden
| | - Anton Stahl Olafsson
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Sandra Gentin
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Megan Maurer
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Sanna Stålhammar
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Lomma Sweden
| | | | - Claudia Bieling
- Societal Transition and Agriculture University of Hohenheim Stuttgart Germany
| | - Arjen Buijs
- Wageningen Universiteit, FNP Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Nora Fagerholm
- Department of Geography and Geology University of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Maria Garcia‐Martin
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Land Change Science Unit Zürich Switzerland
| | - Tobias Plieninger
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Georg‐August‐Universität Göttingen Gottingen Germany
- Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences University Kassel Kassel Germany
| | - Christopher M. Raymond
- Helsinki Institute for Sustainability Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Economics and Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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9
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Pungas L. Invisible (bio)economies: a framework to assess the 'blind spots' of dominant bioeconomy models. SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2023; 18:689-706. [PMID: 36743453 PMCID: PMC9890435 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-023-01292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioeconomy as a new promissory discourse neither challenges the paradigm of economic growth, nor questions its embeddedness in capitalist (neo-)colonial patriarchal power relations. However, the calls for a 'genuine' socio-ecological transformation and for alternative bioeconomy visions imply exactly a destabilization of these power relations. Drawing on the Bielefeld subsistence approach and on its colonialism-capitalism-patriarchy nexus, I argue that the latest bioeconomy strategy and policy papers of both the EU and Estonia each disregard certain spheres of the bioeconomy due to the three-dimensional power relations. As a seemingly neutral political discourse, the bioeconomy is shaped by cultural assumptions and narratives that determine and perpetuate what is deemed worthy of protection and what is pushed aside as merely 'natural'. As such, the current bioeconomy papers promote a 'biomass-based model of capital accumulation' that is essentially built on the prerequisite of the subordination, devaluation, appropriation and/or exploitation of (1) different geographical regions, (2) ecological foundations, and (3) prevalent bioeconomy practices. As a widespread agricultural practice in Eastern Europe, Food Self-Provisioning (FSP) serves as a good example of how predominant bioeconomy models (1) simply operate as new forms of postcolonial development discourse, instead of embracing the plurality of decolonial 'alternatives to development'; (2) deepen the human-nature dichotomy by regarding nature as a mere resource to be extracted more efficiently instead of cultivating mutually nourishing partnership-like relation(ship)s with nature; and (3) maintain the separation between monetized and maintenance economies, rather than fostering ethics of care to overcome the structural separation between the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Pungas
- Institute for Sociology/Junior Research Group Flumen, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Jena, Germany
- Berlin, Germany
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10
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Chandio AA, Akram W, Sargani GR, Twumasi MA, Ahmad F. Assessing the impacts of meteorological factors on soybean production in China: What role can agricultural subsidy play? ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Bernués A, Tenza-Peral A, Gómez-Baggethun E, Clemetsen M, Eik LO, Martín-Collado D. Targeting best agricultural practices to enhance ecosystem services in European mountains. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 316:115255. [PMID: 35576705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Agri-environmental policies in Europe are failing to sufficiently address ongoing environmental degradation, biodiversity decline, climate impacts, and societal demands for sustainability. To reverse this, policymakers, practitioners, and farmers need better guidance on which specific agricultural practice/s should be promoted and how to adapt current practices to reach the desired objectives. Here we use social valuation tools to elucidate the relationship between agricultural practices and the provision of key ecosystem services in mountains, including maintenance of scenery from agricultural landscapes, conservation of biodiversity, regulation of climate change through carbon sequestration, production of local quality products, maintenance of soil fertility, and prevention of forest wildfires. We use as case studies two contrasting but representative mountain agroecosystems in the Mediterranean and Nordic regions of Europe. We analyze the best agricultural practices in both agroecosystems to reach the targeted environmental outcomes under three plausible policy scenarios. We find significant differences in the average contribution of agricultural practices to ecosystem services provision, which suggest the need for regionalizing the research efforts and, consequently, the design of agri-environmental policies. However, we also identify practices for ecosystem service delivery across policy scenarios and agroecosystems. Among these, grazing and silviculture practices such as extending the grazing period, grazing in semi-natural habitats, grazing in remote and abandoned areas, adapting stocking rate to the carrying capacity, and moving flocks seasonally, stand out for their relevance in all policy scenarios. These results highlight the potential of adequate grazing and silviculture practices to deliver bundles of ecosystem services. Our study provides guidance to design agri-environmental policies in Europe that focus on rewarding farmers for their sustainable management of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaption and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bernués
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - A Tenza-Peral
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - E Gómez-Baggethun
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sognsveien 68, 0855, Oslo, 0349, Norway.
| | - M Clemetsen
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway.
| | - L O Eik
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway.
| | - D Martín-Collado
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
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12
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An Inventory of Good Management Practices for Nutrient Reduction, Recycling and Recovery from Agricultural Runoff in Europe’s Northern Periphery and Arctic Region. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14132132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The excess loading of nutrients generated by agricultural activities is a leading cause of water quality impairment across the globe. Various management practices have been developed and widely implemented as conservation management strategies to combat water pollution originating from agricultural activities. In the last ten years, there has also been a widespread recognition of the need for nutrient harvesting from wastewaters and resource recovery. In Europe’s Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) areas, the expertise in water and runoff management is sporadic and needs to be improved. Therefore, the objective of this research was to perform a comprehensive review of the state of the art of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for the NPA region. A set of questionnaires was distributed to project partners combined with a comprehensive literature review of GAPs focusing on those relevant and/or implemented in the NPA region. Twenty-four GAPs were included in the inventory. This review reveals that there is a large level of uncertainty, inconsistency, and a gap in the knowledge regarding the effectiveness of GAPs in nutrient reduction (NRE), their potential for nutrient recycling and recovery (NRR), and their operation and maintenance requirements (OMR) and costs. Although the contribution of GAPs to water quality improvement could not be quantified, this inventory provides a comprehensive and first-of-its-kind guide on available measures and practices to assist regional and local authorities and communities in the NAP region. A recommendation for incorporating and retrofitting phosphorus retaining media (PRMs) in some of the GAPs, and/or the implementation of passive filtration systems and trenches filled with PRMs to intercept surface and subsurface farm flows, would result in the enhancement of both NRE and NRR.
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13
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Wegner GI, Murray KA, Springmann M, Muller A, Sokolow SH, Saylors K, Morens DM. Averting wildlife-borne infectious disease epidemics requires a focus on socio-ecological drivers and a redesign of the global food system. EClinicalMedicine 2022; 47:101386. [PMID: 35465645 PMCID: PMC9014132 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A debate has emerged over the potential socio-ecological drivers of wildlife-origin zoonotic disease outbreaks and emerging infectious disease (EID) events. This Review explores the extent to which the incidence of wildlife-origin infectious disease outbreaks, which are likely to include devastating pandemics like HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, may be linked to excessive and increasing rates of tropical deforestation for agricultural food production and wild meat hunting and trade, which are further related to contemporary ecological crises such as global warming and mass species extinction. Here we explore a set of precautionary responses to wildlife-origin zoonosis threat, including: (a) limiting human encroachment into tropical wildlands by promoting a global transition to diets low in livestock source foods; (b) containing tropical wild meat hunting and trade by curbing urban wild meat demand, while securing access for indigenous people and local communities in remote subsistence areas; and (c) improving biosecurity and other strategies to break zoonosis transmission pathways at the wildlife-human interface and along animal source food supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia I. Wegner
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Unit the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Gambia
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Marco Springmann
- Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, 34 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BD, UK
| | - Adrian Muller
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Sonneggstrasse 33, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Ackerstrasse 113, Frick 5070, Switzerland
| | - Susanne H. Sokolow
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Jerry Yang & Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy Building, MC 4205, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150, USA
| | - Karen Saylors
- Labyrinth Global Health, 15th Ave NE, St Petersburg, FL 33704, USA
| | - David M. Morens
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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14
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Impact of Cereal Production Displacement from Urban Expansion on Ecosystem Service Values in China: Based on Three Cropland Supplement Strategies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084563. [PMID: 35457431 PMCID: PMC9024629 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The acceleration of global urban expansion constantly occupies high-quality cropland and affects regional food security. The implementation of cropland protection policies has alleviated the pressure of cropland loss worldwide, and thus keeping a dynamic balance of cereal production. Such a displacement of cereal production from the lost cropland to the supplemented cropland has resulted in the massive losses of natural habitats (such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands) as well as ecosystem service values. However, the impact of cereal production displacement caused by different cropland supplement strategies has not been concerned. Therefore, taking China (mainland) as a case, this study used the LANDSCAPE model to simulate cereal production displacement caused by urban expansion and cropland supplement between 2020 and 2040, based on three scales of the Chinese administration system (i.e., the national level, the provincial level, and the municipal level). The natural habitat loss and corresponding ecosystem service value (ESV) loss were assessed. The results show that the national-scale cereal displacement will lead to a large reclamation of cropland in North China, causing the most natural habitat loss (5090 km2), and the least ESV loss (46.53 billion yuan). Cereal production displacement at the provincial and municipal scales will lead to fewer natural habitat losses (4696 km2 and 4954 km2, respectively), but more ESV losses (54.16 billion yuan and 54.02 billion yuan, respectively). Based on the national food security and ecological conservation in China, this study discussed the reasons for the ecological effects of cereal production displacement, direct and indirect natural habitat loss of urban expansion, and cropland protection policies in China. We suggest that China’s cropland protection policy should emphasize avoiding large-scale cropland displacement and occupation of natural habitat with high ESV for cropland supplement.
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15
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Economic value of three grassland ecosystem services when managed at the regional and farm scale. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4194. [PMID: 35264720 PMCID: PMC8907267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Grasslands cover a major share of the world’s agricultural land and their management influences ecosystem services. Spatially targeted policy instruments can increase the provision of ecosystem services by exploiting how they respond to spatial differences in environmental characteristics such as altitude, slope, or soil quality. However, most policy instruments focus on individual farms, where spatial differences are small. Here we assess the economic value of three grassland ecosystem services (i.e., forage provision, carbon sequestration, and habitat maintenance) and its variability in a Swiss region of 791 km2 that consists of 19,000 farmland parcels when managed at the regional and farm scale, respectively. Our spatially explicit bio-economic simulation approach combines biophysical information on grassland ecosystem services and their economic values. We find that in our case study region, spatial targeting on a regional scale management increases the economic value of ecosystem services by 45% compared to targeting at farm scale. We also find that the heterogeneity of economic values coming from prices and willingness to pay estimates is higher than the economic gains from spatial targeting that make use of the spatial difference in environmental characteristics. This implies that heterogeneity in prices and/or societal demand of these three ecosystem services is more important for grassland management than spatial heterogeneity in our case study region. The here applied framework allows for an ex-ante assessment of economic gains from spatial targeting and thus provides basic information for the implementation of incentive mechanisms addressing the nexus of food production and ecosystem service provision in grasslands.
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16
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Sun Z, Scherer L, Tukker A, Spawn-Lee SA, Bruckner M, Gibbs HK, Behrens P. Dietary change in high-income nations alone can lead to substantial double climate dividend. NATURE FOOD 2022; 3:29-37. [PMID: 37118487 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00431-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
A dietary shift from animal-based foods to plant-based foods in high-income nations could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from direct agricultural production and increase carbon sequestration if resulting spared land was restored to its antecedent natural vegetation. We estimate this double effect by simulating the adoption of the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet by 54 high-income nations representing 68% of global gross domestic product and 17% of population. Our results show that such dietary change could reduce annual agricultural production emissions of high-income nations' diets by 61% while sequestering as much as 98.3 (55.6-143.7) GtCO2 equivalent, equal to approximately 14 years of current global agricultural emissions until natural vegetation matures. This amount could potentially fulfil high-income nations' future sum of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) obligations under the principle of equal per capita CDR responsibilities. Linking land, food, climate and public health policy will be vital to harnessing the opportunities of a double climate dividend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongxiao Sun
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - Laura Scherer
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arnold Tukker
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Seth A Spawn-Lee
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Martin Bruckner
- Institute for Ecological Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holly K Gibbs
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Paul Behrens
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden University College The Hague, The Hague, the Netherlands
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17
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18
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Brady MV, Andersen MS, Andersson A, Kilis E, Saarela SR, Hvarregaard Thorsøe M. Strengthening the policy framework to resolve lax implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan for agriculture. AMBIO 2022; 51:69-83. [PMID: 34145560 PMCID: PMC8651863 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01573-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In this perspective article, we provide recommendations for strengthening the policy framework for protecting the Baltic Sea from agricultural nutrient pollution. The most striking weakness is the lax implementation of prescribed abatement measures, particularly concerning manure management, in most countries. Institutions of the EU should also be leveraged for achieving Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) goals. In contrast to the Helsinki Convention, the European Union has economic, political and legal mandates to further implementation and compliance. Equally important is the need for strengthening of local institutions, particularly Water Boards and independent agricultural advisory services in the eastern Baltic Sea Region countries. There is also an urgent need for implementation of voluntary land-use measures where EU funding available to farmers is more broadly and effectively used by providing it on the basis of estimated abatement performance, which can be realized through modelling. The enormous potential for funding performance-based schemes, manure management infrastructure and advisory services through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy are currently underutilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark V. Brady
- Department of Economics, AgriFood Economics Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 730, 220 07 Lund, Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Box 188, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikael Skou Andersen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
| | - Anna Andersson
- Department of Economics, AgriFood Economics Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 730, 220 07 Lund, Sweden
| | - Emils Kilis
- Baltic Studies Centre, Kokneses prospekts 26-2, Riga, 1014 Latvia
| | - Sanna-Riikka Saarela
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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19
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Direct Payments and Sustainable Agricultural Development—The Example of Poland. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132313090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the importance of the direct-payments scheme as a tool for supporting the sustainable development of agriculture in Poland, and to assess the effects of the 2015 Common Agricultural Policy reform in this context. In particular, the study attempts to investigate the impact of different fund-allocation criteria on the regional distribution of direct payments. The research employs a simulation method in the form of variant analysis (the “what if” model)—a mathematical method with elements of statistical description, based on the complete dataset. For the purposes of one of the variants, a multi-criteria composite indicator was constructed, including stimulants and destimulants of the level of environmental sustainability of agricultural plant production. The analysis was conducted at the NUTS 2 level (voivodeships). The timeframe of the study covered the period 2010–2019. The data published by Statistics Poland and the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture were used as the source material. The analysis indicated that the 2015 Common Agricultural Policy reform redistributed public funds away from sustainable agricultural management principles. Applying some basic sustainability criteria in order to internalise environmental externalities would lead to a radical redistribution of first-pillar Common Agricultural Policy payments. The paper concludes that a real greening of the European Union’s agricultural policy is a task still to be accomplished.
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20
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Lawler OK, Allan HL, Baxter PWJ, Castagnino R, Tor MC, Dann LE, Hungerford J, Karmacharya D, Lloyd TJ, López-Jara MJ, Massie GN, Novera J, Rogers AM, Kark S. The COVID-19 pandemic is intricately linked to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e840-e850. [PMID: 34774124 PMCID: PMC8580505 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00258-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by zoonotic SARS-CoV-2, has important links to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. These links range from anthropogenic activities driving zoonotic disease emergence and extend to the pandemic affecting biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, ecosystem services, and multiple conservation facets. Crucially, such effects can exacerbate the initial drivers, resulting in feedback loops that are likely to promote future zoonotic disease outbreaks. We explore these feedback loops and relationships, highlighting known and potential zoonotic disease emergence drivers (eg, land-use change, intensive livestock production, wildlife trade, and climate change), and discuss direct and indirect effects of the ongoing pandemic on biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. We stress that responses to COVID-19 must include actions aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems, in order to avoid future emergence of zoonoses and prevent their wide-ranging effects on human health, economies, and society. Such responses would benefit from adopting a One Health approach, enhancing cross-sector, transboundary communication, as well as from collaboration among multiple actors, promoting planetary and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odette K Lawler
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hannah L Allan
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter W J Baxter
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Romi Castagnino
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marina Corella Tor
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Leah E Dann
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Joshua Hungerford
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dibesh Karmacharya
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Thomas J Lloyd
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - María José López-Jara
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gloeta N Massie
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Junior Novera
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew M Rogers
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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21
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Bieroza MZ, Bol R, Glendell M. What is the deal with the Green Deal: Will the new strategy help to improve European freshwater quality beyond the Water Framework Directive? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 791:148080. [PMID: 34126496 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural land use covers almost half of the EU territory and reducing nutrient and pesticide losses to freshwaters is central to existing EU policy. However, the progress of improving freshwater quality and reducing eutrophication is slow and lags behind targets. The Green Deal is a key element of the EU plans to implement the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Here, we discuss the opportunities that the Green Deal and associated strategies may provide for the achievement of the water quality goals of the Water Framework Directive in agricultural landscapes. We welcome Green Deal's aspirational stated goals. However, the reliance of mitigation of diffuse agricultural pollution on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy represents grave risks for practical implementation and the achievement of the Green Deal objectives. We also argue that the new strategies should be targeted at tackling and understanding the sources of water quality problems along the full pollution continuum. To maximise the opportunities for tackling diffuse pollution from agricultural land use and achieving the delayed water quality targets, we stress that a range of targeted new instruments will be needed to close the gaps in the pollution continuum 'from source to impact'. These gaps include: (I) smart and standardised monitoring of the impacts of proposed eco-schemes and agri-environment-climate measures, (ii) active restoration of agricultural streams and ditches and their floodplains to reduce secondary pollution sources, (iii) options to draw down nutrient levels to or below the agronomic optimum that reduce legacy sources, (iv) integrating farm-scale and catchment-scale analysis of trade-offs in reducing different pollutants and their combined effects, and finally (v) accounting for emerging pressures to freshwater quality due to climate change. Incorporation of the pollution continuum framework into tackling diffuse agricultural pollution will ensure that the European water-related policy goals are achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Z Bieroza
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - R Bol
- Forschungszentrum Jülich IBG-3, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany; School of Natural Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - M Glendell
- The James Hutton Institute, Environmental and Biochemical Sciences Group, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, Scotland, UK
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22
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Mayer A, Kaufmann L, Kalt G, Matej S, Theurl MC, Morais TG, Leip A, Erb KH. Applying the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production framework to map provisioning ecosystem services and their relation to ecosystem functioning across the European Union. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 2021; 51:101344. [PMID: 34631401 PMCID: PMC8491453 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human intervention on land enhances the supply of provisioning ecosystem services, but also exerts pressures on ecosystem functioning. We utilize the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) framework to assess these relations in European agriculture, for 220 NUTS2 regions. We put a particular focus on individual land system components, i.e. croplands, grasslands, and livestock husbandry and relate associated biomass flows to the potential net primary productivity NPP. For the reference year 2012, we find that 469 g dm/m2/yr (38% of NPPpot) of used biomass were harvested on total agricultural land, and that one tonne of annually harvested biomass is associated with 1.67 tonnes dry matter (dm) of HANPP, ranging from 0.8 to 8.1 tonnes dry matter (dm) across all regions. EU livestock systems are a large consumer of these provisioning ecosystem services, and invoking higher HANPP flows than current HANPP on cropland and grassland within the EU, even exceeding the potential NPP in one fifth of all NUTS2 regions. NPP remaining in ecosystems after provisioning society with biomass is essential for the functioning of ecosystems and is 563 g dm/m2/yr or 46% of NPPpot on all agricultural land. We conclude from our analysis that the HANPP framework provides useful indicators that should be integrated in future ecosystem service assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Mayer
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Kaufmann
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Kalt
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Matej
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela C. Theurl
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tiago G. Morais
- MARETEC – Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, Instituto Superior Técnico, LARSyS, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Adrian Leip
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, VA, Italy
| | - Karl-Heinz Erb
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku), Vienna, Schottenfeldgasse 29, A-1070 Vienna, Austria
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23
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Gervasi V, Linnell JD, Berce T, Boitani L, Cerne R, Ciucci P, Cretois B, Derron-Hilfiker D, Duchamp C, Gastineau A, Grente O, Huber D, Iliopoulos Y, Karamanlidis AA, Kojola I, Marucco F, Mertzanis Y, Männil P, Norberg H, Pagon N, Pedrotti L, Quenette PY, Reljic S, Salvatori V, Talvi T, von Arx M, Gimenez O. Ecological correlates of large carnivore depredation on sheep in Europe. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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24
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Twenty Years of Common Agricultural Policy in Europe: A Bibliometric Analysis. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su131910650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The last few years have been marked by the increasing attention paid by policymakers to agricultural policies. Within this scenario, the Common Agricultural Policy represents one of the main initiatives developed by the European Commission to enhance the agricultural sector. Academics have actively contributed to the debate through empirical studies in order to evaluate the main strengths and weakness related to the public investments made by the European Commission. However, despite the relevance of the topic, the scientific debate is characterized by a high degree of fragmentation caused by the involvement of academics with different scientific backgrounds. Building on this evidence, this paper aims to contribute to the scientific debate on Common Agricultural Policy through a bibliometric analysis. The findings reveal the existence of three independent and complementary research clusters.
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25
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Demi SM, Sicchia SR. Agrochemicals Use Practices and Health Challenges of Smallholder Farmers in Ghana. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2021; 15:11786302211043033. [PMID: 34552335 PMCID: PMC8450680 DOI: 10.1177/11786302211043033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, Africa is one of the continents that uses the lowest quantity of agrochemicals in farming. However, unsafe chemical use practices are high among farmers in Africa, posing serious health and environmental consequences. This study seeks to address three questions: (1) What factors motivate/compel smallholder farmers in Ghana to use agrochemicals? (2) What safety precautions or unsafe chemical use practices can be found in the communities? (3) What are the health implications of agrochemical use among smallholder farmers in Ghana? METHODOLOGY The study used purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select 136 individuals for the survey, out of which 31 individuals were eliminated, and 105 participants were selected for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Additionally, participants' observations were collected, workshops were facilitated, and documents analyses were conducted. Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo software and the quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. FINDINGS The study found that environmental challenges, activities of NGOs, government policy, lack of or high cost of labor, and competition among farmers were major factors influencing farmers' decisions to use agrochemicals. Present agrochemical use in Ghana poses a risk to health and the environment. Finally, the study discovered chemical poisoning and low self-reported health quality as major health implications of agrochemical use in the communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suleyman M Demi
- Suleyman M Demi, Department of
Health and Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military
Trail, Office HL 208, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada.
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26
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EU Rural Policy’s Capacity to Facilitate a Just Sustainability Transition of the Rural Areas. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14165050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The sustainability transition of rural areas is a must due to rapid climate changes and biodiversity loss. Given the limited resources of rural communities, policy should facilitate a just sustainability transition of the EU rural areas. The analysis of EU development policies, past performance and the envisaged scope of reform, presented in this study point to a serious inconsistency between the declaration and implementation of relevant policies. Namely, the marginal role rural areas perform in common agricultural policy and cohesion policy; a result of the lack of a complex approach to rural development. The analysis was based on the concept of good governance and took a multi-level perspective. It advocates territorial justice as an approach that should be at the core of creating a comprehensive policy for rural areas in the EU, including their diversity and empowering local communities to choose the transition pathway that is most in line with their current situation and development capacity. This analysis fills a gap in research on the evolution of the rural development policy in the EU. This research can inform the reprioritization and intensification of efforts to create equitable policies for EU rural development.
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27
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Assessing trends in wolf impact on livestock through verified claims in historical vs. recent areas of occurrence in Italy. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01522-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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28
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Nicholas KA, Villemoes F, Lehsten EA, Brady MV, Scown MW. A harmonized and spatially explicit dataset from 16 million payments from the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy for 2015. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 2:100236. [PMID: 33982026 PMCID: PMC8085596 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2021.100236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the largest budget item in the European Union, but varied data reporting hampers holistic analysis. Here we have assembled the first dataset to our knowledge to report individual CAP payments by standardized CAP funding measures and geolocation. We created this dataset by translating, geolocating to the county or province (NUTS3) level, and consistently harmonizing payment measures for over 16 million payments from 2015, originally reported by EU member states and compiled by the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany. This dataset and code allow in-depth analysis of over €60 billion in public spending by purpose and location for the first time, which enables both individual payment tracing and analysis by aggregation. These data are representative of the distribution of annual CAP payments from 2014 to 2020 and are of interest to researchers, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and journalists for evaluating the distribution and impacts of CAP spending.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Nicholas
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Box 170, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Frida Villemoes
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Box 170, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Mark V. Brady
- Agrifood Economics Centre, Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 22070 Lund, Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Murray W. Scown
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Box 170, 22100 Lund, Sweden
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
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29
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Conflicts between agriculture and biodiversity conservation in Europe: Looking to the future by learning from the past. ADV ECOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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McElwee P, Turnout E, Chiroleu-Assouline M, Clapp J, Isenhour C, Jackson T, Kelemen E, Miller DC, Rusch G, Spangenberg JH, Waldron A, Baumgartner RJ, Bleys B, Howard MW, Mungatana E, Ngo H, Ring I, Santos R. Ensuring a Post-COVID Economic Agenda Tackles Global Biodiversity Loss. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3:448-461. [PMID: 34173540 PMCID: PMC7526599 DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic and unprecedented impacts on both global health and economies. Many governments are now proposing recovery packages to get back to normal, but the 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment indicated that business as usual has created widespread ecosystem degradation. Therefore, a post-COVID world needs to tackle the economic drivers that create ecological disruptions. In this perspective, we discuss a number of tools across a range of actors for both short-term stimulus measures and longer-term revamping of global, national, and local economies that take biodiversity into account. These include measures to shift away from activities that damage biodiversity and toward those supporting ecosystem resilience, including through incentives, regulations, fiscal policy, and employment programs. By treating the crisis as an opportunity to reset the global economy, we have a chance to reverse decades of biodiversity and ecosystem losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela McElwee
- Department of Human Ecology, Rutgers University, 55 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08840, USA
| | - Esther Turnout
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University, Droevendalsesteeg 3, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jennifer Clapp
- School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Cindy Isenhour
- Department of Anthropology & Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, 5773 South Stevens Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Tim Jackson
- Center for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Eszter Kelemen
- Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG), Ferenciek Tere 2, Budapest 1053, Hungary.,Institute for Sociology, Centre for Social Sciences, Tóth Kálmán Utca 4, Budapest 1097, Hungary
| | - Daniel C Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Graciela Rusch
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, Trondheim 7034, Norway
| | - Joachim H Spangenberg
- Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI) Germany, Vorsterstrasse 97-99, Köln 51103, Germany
| | - Anthony Waldron
- Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Cambridge University, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Rupert J Baumgartner
- Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research, University of Graz, Merangasse 18/I, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Brent Bleys
- Department of Economics, Ghent University, Tweekerkenstraat 2, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Michael W Howard
- Department of Philosophy, The University of Maine, 5776 The Maples, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Eric Mungatana
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Hien Ngo
- IPBES Secretariat, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | - Irene Ring
- Technische Universität Dresden, International Institute Zittau, Markt 23, Zittau 02763, Germany
| | - Rui Santos
- Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE), NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Campus de Caparica, Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
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The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy Could Be Spent Much More Efficiently to Address Challenges for Farmers, Climate, and Biodiversity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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