Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Rudi Hessel; Guido Wyseure; Ioanna S. Panagea; Abdallah Alaoui; Mark S. Reed; Hedwig van Delden; Melanie Muro; Jane Mills; Oene Oenema; Francisco Areal; Erik van den Elsen; Simone Verzandvoort; Falentijn Assinck; Annemie Elsen; Jerzy Lipiec; Aristeidis Koutroulis; Lilian O’sullivan; Martin A. Bolinder; Luuk Fleskens; Ellen Kandeler; Luca Montanarella; Marius Heinen; Zoltan Toth; Moritz Hallama; Julián Cuevas; Jantiene E.M. Baartman; Ilaria Piccoli; Tommy Dalgaard; Jannes Stolte; Jasmine E. Black; Charlotte Anne Chivers

doi:10.3390/land11060780

Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Rudi Hessel^*, Guido Wyseure, Ioanna S. Panagea, Abdallah Alaoui, Mark S. Reed, Hedwig van Delden, Melanie Muro, Jane Mills, Oene Oenema, Francisco Areal, Erik van den Elsen, Simone Verzandvoort, Falentijn Assinck, Annemie Elsen, Jerzy Lipiec, Aristeidis Koutroulis, Lilian O’sullivan, Martin A. Bolinder, Luuk Fleskens, Ellen KandelerLuca Montanarella, Marius Heinen, Zoltan Toth, Moritz Hallama, Julián Cuevas, Jantiene E.M. Baartman, Ilaria Piccoli, Tommy Dalgaard, Jannes Stolte, Jasmine E. Black, Charlotte Anne Chivers

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

33 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.

Original language	English
Article number	780
Pages (from-to)	1-27
Number of pages	27
Journal	Land
Volume	11
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060780
Publication status	Published - 25 May 2022
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Keywords

adoption
crop management
economic dimension
environmental dimension
sociocultural dimension
soil quality
sustainable soil management

Access to Document

10.3390/land11060780Licence: CC BY

land-11-00780-v2Final published version, 1.27 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Hessel, R., Wyseure, G., Panagea, I. S., Alaoui, A., Reed, M. S., van Delden, H., Muro, M., Mills, J., Oenema, O., Areal, F., van den Elsen, E., Verzandvoort, S., Assinck, F., Elsen, A., Lipiec, J., Koutroulis, A., O’sullivan, L., Bolinder, M. A., Fleskens, L., ... Chivers, C. A. (2022). Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe. Land, 11(6), 1-27. Article 780. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060780

@article{333cf8a2df674eba95fb3b36c31072a2,

title = "Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe",

abstract = "Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project{\textquoteright}s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.",

keywords = "adoption, crop management, economic dimension, environmental dimension, sociocultural dimension, soil quality, sustainable soil management",

author = "Rudi Hessel and Guido Wyseure and Panagea, \{Ioanna S.\} and Abdallah Alaoui and Reed, \{Mark S.\} and \{van Delden\}, Hedwig and Melanie Muro and Jane Mills and Oene Oenema and Francisco Areal and \{van den Elsen\}, Erik and Simone Verzandvoort and Falentijn Assinck and Annemie Elsen and Jerzy Lipiec and Aristeidis Koutroulis and Lilian O{\textquoteright}sullivan and Bolinder, \{Martin A.\} and Luuk Fleskens and Ellen Kandeler and Luca Montanarella and Marius Heinen and Zoltan Toth and Moritz Hallama and Juli{\'a}n Cuevas and Baartman, \{Jantiene E.M.\} and Ilaria Piccoli and Tommy Dalgaard and Jannes Stolte and Black, \{Jasmine E.\} and Chivers, \{Charlotte Anne\}",

note = "Funding information: This research received funding from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 677407 (SoilCare project). R.H., O.O., E.v.d.E., S.V., F.A. (Falentijn Assinck) and M.H. (Marius Heinen) also received funding from the Dutch Ministry of LNV via Kennis Basis programma 34, project KB-34-008-005. The contribution of the University of Hohenheim was partly financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under the Collaborative Research Centre 1253 CAMPOS (DFG grant SFB 1253/1 2017).",

year = "2022",

month = may,

day = "25",

doi = "10.3390/land11060780",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

pages = "1--27",

journal = "Land",

issn = "2073-445X",

publisher = "MDPI AG",

number = "6",

}

Hessel, R, Wyseure, G, Panagea, IS, Alaoui, A, Reed, MS, van Delden, H, Muro, M, Mills, J, Oenema, O, Areal, F, van den Elsen, E, Verzandvoort, S, Assinck, F, Elsen, A, Lipiec, J, Koutroulis, A, O’sullivan, L, Bolinder, MA, Fleskens, L, Kandeler, E, Montanarella, L, Heinen, M, Toth, Z, Hallama, M, Cuevas, J, Baartman, JEM, Piccoli, I, Dalgaard, T, Stolte, J, Black, JE & Chivers, CA 2022, 'Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe', Land, vol. 11, no. 6, 780, pp. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060780

TY - JOUR

T1 - Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

AU - Hessel, Rudi

AU - Wyseure, Guido

AU - Panagea, Ioanna S.

AU - Alaoui, Abdallah

AU - Reed, Mark S.

AU - van Delden, Hedwig

AU - Muro, Melanie

AU - Mills, Jane

AU - Oenema, Oene

AU - Areal, Francisco

AU - van den Elsen, Erik

AU - Verzandvoort, Simone

AU - Assinck, Falentijn

AU - Elsen, Annemie

AU - Lipiec, Jerzy

AU - Koutroulis, Aristeidis

AU - O’sullivan, Lilian

AU - Bolinder, Martin A.

AU - Fleskens, Luuk

AU - Kandeler, Ellen

AU - Montanarella, Luca

AU - Heinen, Marius

AU - Toth, Zoltan

AU - Hallama, Moritz

AU - Cuevas, Julián

AU - Baartman, Jantiene E.M.

AU - Piccoli, Ilaria

AU - Dalgaard, Tommy

AU - Stolte, Jannes

AU - Black, Jasmine E.

AU - Chivers, Charlotte Anne

N1 - Funding information: This research received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 677407 (SoilCare project). R.H., O.O., E.v.d.E., S.V., F.A. (Falentijn Assinck) and M.H. (Marius Heinen) also received funding from the Dutch Ministry of LNV via Kennis Basis programma 34, project KB-34-008-005. The contribution of the University of Hohenheim was partly financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under the Collaborative Research Centre 1253 CAMPOS (DFG grant SFB 1253/1 2017).

PY - 2022/5/25

Y1 - 2022/5/25

N2 - Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.

AB - Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.

KW - adoption

KW - crop management

KW - economic dimension

KW - environmental dimension

KW - sociocultural dimension

KW - soil quality

KW - sustainable soil management

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85130741280

U2 - 10.3390/land11060780

DO - 10.3390/land11060780

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85130741280

SN - 2073-445X

VL - 11

SP - 1

EP - 27

JO - Land

JF - Land

IS - 6

M1 - 780

ER -

Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this