Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Ecology
• Sociology

Background:

• Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS) are crucial for agricultural modernization but face implementation challenges.
• Scaling up ICLS requires innovative design and participatory approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a participatory method for designing ICLS across diverse European agricultural contexts.
• To explore innovative 'metabolic' and 'ecosystemic' approaches to ICLS design.

Main Methods:

• A participatory design method was implemented in 15 European case studies.
• Involved local stakeholders (farmers, cooperatives, environmental groups) in identifying challenges, designing options, and assessing outcomes.
• Utilized a conceptual framework based on crops, grasslands, and animals for innovative thinking.

Main Results:

• Defined three types of ICLS based on spatial and temporal coordination: complementarity, local synergy, and territorial synergy.
• Highlighted the importance of crop and grassland diversity interacting with animals for ecosystem services.
• Identified opportunities for social innovation through stakeholder cooperation in land-use management.

Conclusions:

• Participatory design, using a multi-level framework and context-specific methodology, can identify novel ICLS for testing.
• ICLS offer potential benefits across economic, agronomic, environmental, and social criteria, though farmer workload is a key consideration.