Crop diversification and low-input farming cross Europe: from practitioners' engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organization (DIVERFARMING)

Description:

The DIVERFARMING project aims to develop and deploy innovative farming and agribusiness strategies, with emphasis on developing new framework systems and business models adapted to the rural context, to increase the long-term resilience, sustainability and economic revenues of agriculture across the EU.

The project evaluates benefits and limitations, barriers and drawbacks of diversified cropping systems under low-input agronomic practices tailor-made to fit the unique characteristics of six EU pedoclimatic regions (Mediterranean south and north, Atlantic central, Continental, Pannonian and Boreal), and proposes how the downstream value chain organization can be optimized and adapted.

DIVERFARMING aims to provide: i) increased overall land productivity; ii) more rational use of farm land and farming inputs (water, energy, machinery, fertilisers, pesticides); ii) improved delivery of ecosystem services by increments in biodiversity and soil quality; iii) proper organization of downstream value chains adapted to the new diversified cropping systems with decreased use of energy; and iv) access to new markets and reduced economy risks by adoption of new products in time and space. The diversified cropping systems will be tested in field case studies for major crops within each pedoclimatic region.

Project information

Lead

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE CARTAGENA, Spain

Partners

CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA, Italy

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DEINVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS, Spain

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA, Italy

ASOCIACION REGIONAL DE EMPRESAS AGRICOLAS Y GANADERAS DE LA COMUNIDAD AUTONOMA DE MURCIA (ADEA-ASJA), Spain

CONSORZIO CASALASCO DEL POMODORO SOCIETA AGRICOLA COOPERATIVA, Italy

ARENTO GRUPO COOPERATIVO AGROALIMENTARIO DE ARAGON S COOP, Spain

BARILLA G. E R. FRATELLI SPA, Italy

DISFRIMUR LOGISTICA SL, Spain

UNIVERSIDAD DE CORDOBA, Spain

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, Netherlands

FIRMA NIEUW BROMO VAN TILBURG, Netherlands

INDUSTRIAS DAVID SL, Spain

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION, United Kingdom

UNIVERSITAT TRIER, Germany

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH, Switzerland

FREY-TRESELERFREY KATHARINA, Germany

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, United Kingdom

PECSI TUDOMANYEGYETEM - UNIVERSITY OF PECS, Hungary

AKA KERESKEDELMI, TERMELO ES SZOLGALTATO KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG, Hungary

NEDEL MARKET MEZOGAZDASAGI TERMELOKERESKEDELMI ES SZOLGALTATO KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG, Hungary

LUONNONVARAKESKUS, Finland

PAAVOLA RISTO KALERVO, Finland

RAINIO LASSE, Finland

JURRIUS ANDREAS, Netherlands

Source of funding

European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for research & innovation, grant agreement n.728003 Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation