Goals: To increase the long-term resilience, sustainability and economic revenues of agriculture across the EU by assessing the real benefits and minimising the limitations, barriers and drawbacks of diversified cropping systems under low-input practices that are tailor-made to fit the characteristics of six EU pedoclimatic regions, and by adapting and optimising the downstream value chains organization
Interview Raul Zornoza (UPCT) – Project DIVERFARMING
RAÚL ZORNOZA
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
Current European project:
Goals: To increase the long-term resilience, sustainability and economic revenues of agriculture across the EU by assessing the real benefits and minimising the limitations, barriers and drawbacks of diversified cropping systems under low-input practices that are tailor-made to fit the characteristics of six EU pedoclimatic regions, and by adapting and optimising the downstream value chains organization
How can your European research project help society now or in the future?
The Diverfarming project deals with crop diversification and adaptation of the agricultural value chain to increase sustainability, by reducing the use of fertilizers, plant protection and machinery, increasing biodiversity, soil health, carbon sequestration and improving farmers’ profits, with a more flexible value chain. Therefore, the adoption of the project results will lead to more sustainable production systems, ensuring quality products that respect the environment and social rights.
How is research done on this topic? What kind of results are obtained?
The main basis of the project is field work, with the implementation of new strategies for crop diversification (inclusion of different types of crops in time and space) and low inputs. For three years different agronomic indicators have been monitored such as crop production and quality or incidence of pests and diseases, environmental, such as biodiversity, soil health or greenhouse gas emissions, by calculating gross and net margins of holdings. In addition, interviews and surveys have been conducted with different actors in the value chain, including those consumed, to establish the non-market cost of crop diversification (the economic value of environmental services derived from new production models), the best strategy to encourage their adoption and the most efficient model of relationships between the different actors in the value chain of each system.
How’s your work team?
We are 25 partners from eight European countries, including universities, research centers, agricultural cooperatives, farmers associations and agricultural companies, with profiles in different disciplines such as agronomy, soil science, environment, mathematics, communication, economics, social sciences or biology.
What challenges do you face for the future?
There is a major challenge to maintain the current level of production to ensure a supply of high quality and safe food and raw materials, but at the same time do not have a negative impact on the environment and promote the economic development of rural areas. It is important to continue influencing alternatives to the current production models that favor rural development, investments in the rural environment, with improvements in the health of ecosystems and that combat climate change. Much remains to be done to integrate all actors in the agricultural value chain and to achieve more sustainable models that make the distribution chain more flexible and shorter.
Why is it important for people to support and institutions to fund research projects like this?
The results of such projects are direct benefits for society, as it is an investment that will have a positive impact on their quality of life, health and well-being, such as in this case purchasing safe products with high nutritional value from sustainable farming models that are not associated with soil, water or air degradation.