AGROMIX

AGROforestry and MIXed farming systems - Participatory research to drive the transition to a resilient and efficient land use in Europe

Collaborators:

1. Centre for Agroecology, Water & Resilience, Coventry University, UK (Coordinator) 2. Eesti Maaülikool. Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia 3. Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands 4. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Northern Ireland, UK 5. Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy 6. University of Pisa, Italy 7. Agroecology Europe, Belgium 8. Revolve Media, Barcelona, Spain 9. Universidad de Extremadura, Spain 10. Cranfield University, UK 11. MVarc Agroecology Research Centre, Espírito Santo, Mértola, Portugal 12. Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Merelbeke, Belgium 13. Organic Research Centre, Newbury, UK 14. Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland 15. Zurich University of Applied Sciences 16. Tenuta di Paganico, Maremma, Italy 17. Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Italy 18. Veneto Agricoltura, Legnaro (Padova), Italy 19. Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, Neubrücke, Germany 20. University of Koblenz Landau, Germany 21. Polish Agroforestry Association, Puławy, Poland 22. Asocijacija za razvoj Ibarske doline, Kraljevo, Serbia 23. Werkgroep voor een Rechtvaardige en Verantwoorde Landbouw vzw, Belgium 24. CEEweb for Biodiversity, Budapest, Hungary 25. Réseaux des Instituts Techniques Agricoles, France 26. Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Montpellier, France 27. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany 28. Teagasc, Dublin, Ireland

Team: Prof Ulrich Schmutz(PI), Dr Marco Van De Wiel(Co-PI), Dr Julia Wright, Dr Jonathan Eden Dr Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz

Duration: November 2020 - October 2024

Website: http://agromixproject.eu/

Social media: Instagram: agromixproject, Twitter: @AGROMIXproject, LinkedIn: AGROMIX Project

CAWR Themes: Resilient Food and Water Systems in Practice, Community Self-Organisation for Resilience, Policies and Institutions, Fundamental Processes for Resilience

Project Objectives

The AGROMIX project aims to deliver participatory research to drive the transition to a resilient and efficient land use in Europe. It focuses on practical agroecological solutions for farm and land management and related value chains.

AGROMIX makes use of a network of 83 sites with Mixed Farming (MF), AgroForestry (AF) or value chain stakeholder networks, which are used to measure, design, model, test and improve these systems. A nested approach will be used to conduct 12 co-design pilots across Europe. In addition, 6 replicated long-term trial sites are used for detailed analysis (crops and livestock).

AGROMIX has six specific objectives:

1. Unlock the full potential of synergies in MF/AF systems.
2. Develop and promote value chains and infrastructure for MF/AF produce.
3. Develop the MIX-A toolkit to co-design and manage MF/AF systems in practice.
4. Identify and model transition scenarios.
5. Develop policy recommendations and action plans for a successful transitions
6. Maximise the impact and legacy of the project for building low-carbon climate-resilient farming systems.

AGROMIX uses a transdisciplinary multi-actor research approach with 10 universities, 7 research institutes and 11 multi-actor partners. It will use Reflexive Interactive Design methodology to include stakeholders in participatory co-design and implementation of MF/AF systems. The research starts with a work package (WP1) on context, co-creating a resilience framework. WP2 on systems design and synergies is at the heart of project. WP3 on indicators and scenarios will refine the greenhouse gas inventories for MF/AF systems and model transition scenarios. WP4 develops and tests the MIX application/ serious game. Further WPs are on economics and value chains, and on policy co-development, action plans and dissemination delivering impact and exploitation through practical innovations on farms, in value chains, at different policy levels and through communication and knowledge hubs across Europe.d

Impact

By adopting a multi-actor, transdisciplinary, participatory approach, AGROMIX will generate and share knowledge to support farmers and key-actors in the transition from specialised to MF/AF systems across diverse contexts in Europe. Solutions will consider systems complexity and diversity and as a result AGROMIX can achieve impact in both the conventional and organic sector and its different supply chains across Europe. Impacts include:

• Reduce the environmental impact of farming and contribute towards mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

• Provide ecosystem services through integrated and small-scale land management.

• Foster synergies between agricultural production, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

• Deliver effective solutions for ensuring the highest level of implementation in heterogeneous landscapes.

• Unlock and improve viability and replicability and propose different transition scenarios.

• Strengthen social cohesion and consumer understanding of mixed farming and agroforestry.

• Facilitate the emergence of new businesses in the farming sector and exploitation of novel supply chains for MF/AF systems, e.g. dynamic agrovoltaism.

• Increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the farming sector

• Develop market niches focusing on MF/AF value chain products

• Develop renewable energy markets from MF/AF value chain products

For more information on this project, please contact Sara Burbi