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Agroforestry systems have multifunctional roles in enhancing agronomic productivity, co-production of diversity of food and non-food products and provision of ecosystem services. The knowledge of the performance of agroforestry systems compared with monoculture is scarce and scattered. Hence, the objective of the study was to analyze the agronomic productivity and economic viability of diverse agroforestry systems in Europe. A network of five agroforestry systems integrating arable crops, livestock and biomass trees was investigated to assess the range of agricultural products in each agroforestry system. Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was used to measure the agronomic productivity, whereas gross margin was used as an indicator for economic viability assessment. LER values ranged from 1.36–2.00, indicating that agroforestry systems were more productive by 36–100% compared to monocultures. Agroforestry gross margin was lower in Denmark (€112 ha−1 year−1) compared to United Kingdom (€5083 ha−1 year−1) and the crop component yielded higher returns compared to negative returns from the tree component in agroforestry. Hence, the study provided robust field-based evidence on agronomic productivity and economic viability assessment of agroforestry systems in diverse contexts for informed decision making by land managers, advisory services, farmers and policymakers.
Lisa Lehmann; Jo Smith; Sally Westaway; Andrea Pisanelli; Giuseppe Russo; Robert Borek; Mignon Sandor; Adrian Gliga; Laurence Smith; Bhim Ghaley. Productivity and Economic Evaluation of Agroforestry Systems for Sustainable Production of Food and Non-Food Products. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5429 .
AMA StyleLisa Lehmann, Jo Smith, Sally Westaway, Andrea Pisanelli, Giuseppe Russo, Robert Borek, Mignon Sandor, Adrian Gliga, Laurence Smith, Bhim Ghaley. Productivity and Economic Evaluation of Agroforestry Systems for Sustainable Production of Food and Non-Food Products. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (13):5429.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLisa Lehmann; Jo Smith; Sally Westaway; Andrea Pisanelli; Giuseppe Russo; Robert Borek; Mignon Sandor; Adrian Gliga; Laurence Smith; Bhim Ghaley. 2020. "Productivity and Economic Evaluation of Agroforestry Systems for Sustainable Production of Food and Non-Food Products." Sustainability 12, no. 13: 5429.
Given the environmental footprints of the conventional agriculture, it is imperative to test and validate alternative production systems, with lower environmental impacts to mitigate and adapt our production systems. In this study, we identified six production systems, four in Italy and two in Denmark, to assess the environmental footprint for comparison among the production systems and additionally with conventional production systems. SimaPro 8.4 software was used to carry out the life cycle impact assessment. Among other indicators, three significantly important indicators, namely global warming potential, acidification, and eutrophication, were used as the proxy for life cycle impact assessment. In Italy, the production systems compared were silvopastoral, organic, traditional, and conventional olive production systems, whereas in Denmark, combined food and energy production system was compared with the conventional wheat production system. Among the six production systems, conventional wheat production system in Denmark accounted for highest global warming potential, acidification, and eutrophication. In Italy, global warming potential was highest in traditional agroforestry and lowest in the silvopastoral system whereas acidification and eutrophication were lowest in the traditional production system with high acidification effects from the silvopastoral system. In Italy, machinery use contributed the highest greenhouse gas emissions in silvopastoral and organic production systems, while the large contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer was recorded in the traditional and conventional production systems. In Denmark, the combined food and energy system had lower environmental impacts compared to the conventional wheat production system according to the three indicators. For both systems in Denmark, the main contribution to greenhouse gas emission was due to fertilizer and manure application. The study showed that integrated food and non-food systems are more environmentally friendly and less polluting compared to the conventional wheat production system in Denmark with use of chemical fertilizers and irrigation. The study can contribute to informed decision making by the land managers and policy makers for promotion of environmentally friendly food and non-food production practices, to meet the European Union targets of providing biomass-based materials and energy to contribute to the bio-based economy in Europe and beyond.
Lisa Mølgaard Lehmann; Magdalena Borzęcka; Katarzyna Żyłowska; Andrea Pisanelli; Giuseppe Russo; Bhim Bahadur Ghaley. Environmental Impact Assessments of Integrated Food and Non-Food Production Systems in Italy and Denmark. Energies 2020, 13, 849 .
AMA StyleLisa Mølgaard Lehmann, Magdalena Borzęcka, Katarzyna Żyłowska, Andrea Pisanelli, Giuseppe Russo, Bhim Bahadur Ghaley. Environmental Impact Assessments of Integrated Food and Non-Food Production Systems in Italy and Denmark. Energies. 2020; 13 (4):849.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLisa Mølgaard Lehmann; Magdalena Borzęcka; Katarzyna Żyłowska; Andrea Pisanelli; Giuseppe Russo; Bhim Bahadur Ghaley. 2020. "Environmental Impact Assessments of Integrated Food and Non-Food Production Systems in Italy and Denmark." Energies 13, no. 4: 849.
Agroforestry is a land use practice in which woody perennials (trees or shrubs) are integrated with crops and/or livestock on the same land unit. Such practices have shaped key features of the rural landscape in Mediterranean countries, where trees have been traditionally and deliberately retained by farmers or included in cultivated or grazed lands. Global and European policies acknowledge the role that agroforestry can play to promote multifunctional agriculture providing products and delivering additional, highly important, ecosystem services. Nevertheless, it is also recognised that several constraints such as the lack of knowledge and expertise of farmers, land users and policy makers concerning agroforestry systems establishment and management hamper the adoption of agroforestry systems. In order to fill this gap, a European research project, funded within the EU’s H2020 research and innovation programme, started in January 2017: Agroforestry Innovation Networks (AFINET). AFINET acts at EU level in order to take up research results into practice and to promote innovative ideas to face challenges and resolve problems of practitioners. To achieve this objective, AFINET proposes an innovative methodology based on the creation of a European interregional network, linking different Regional Agroforestry Innovation Networks (RAINs). RAINs are working groups created in nine strategic regions of Europe, interconnected and articulated through the figure of the Innovation Broker. RAIN in Italy is focused on multipurpose olive tree systems in the territory around Orvieto Municipality, Umbria Region, Central Italy. The network considers the extra-virgin olive oil value chain, from the olive production on farm to the olive processing, producing oil and residues, at the oil mill. Through the RAIN, we expect to improve the management of olive orchards, promoting the adoption of agroforestry solutions and practices, and to improve the extra-virgin olive oil production process by identifying innovative uses of the bio-residues. This paper reports the results obtained in the first and second RAIN meetings, organized in September 2017 and January 2018, with the participation of 27 and 39 stakeholders from the local olive oil chain, respectively. The first meeting was mainly aimed to introduce the AFINET project and its tools and to implement a participative approach in order to identify bottlenecks and opportunities of the extra-virgin olive oil value chain, according to stakeholder knowledge and experience. The second meeting was focused on the identification of potential innovations that should be implemented within the olive oil value chain according to stakeholders’ needs and perceptions.
Andrea Pisanelli; Claudia Consalvo; Giuseppe Russo; Marco Ciolfi; Endro Martini; Marco Lauteri; Francesca Camilli; Pierluigi Paris. Agroforestry Systems and Innovation in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Chain (EVOO) in Central Italy: A Multi-stakeholder Perspective. Intensified Land and Water Use 2019, 85 -99.
AMA StyleAndrea Pisanelli, Claudia Consalvo, Giuseppe Russo, Marco Ciolfi, Endro Martini, Marco Lauteri, Francesca Camilli, Pierluigi Paris. Agroforestry Systems and Innovation in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Chain (EVOO) in Central Italy: A Multi-stakeholder Perspective. Intensified Land and Water Use. 2019; ():85-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Pisanelli; Claudia Consalvo; Giuseppe Russo; Marco Ciolfi; Endro Martini; Marco Lauteri; Francesca Camilli; Pierluigi Paris. 2019. "Agroforestry Systems and Innovation in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Chain (EVOO) in Central Italy: A Multi-stakeholder Perspective." Intensified Land and Water Use , no. : 85-99.
Agroforestry is an integrated land use management that combines a woody component with a lower story agricultural production recognized as one of the most important tools to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The objective of this paper is to provide a categorization and extent of agroforestry practices linked to agricultural and forest lands at regional level and evaluate how are they promoted by the previous (2007–2013) and current CAP (2014–2020) with a special focus on climate change mitigation potential. Agroforestry occupies almost 20 million hectares in Europe, being silvopasture and homegardens the most extensively spread practices and forest farming not quantified. Agroforestry practices are promoted at European level but in a really complex form as more than 25 measures are implemented to enhance the existing 5 agroforestry practices (silvopasture, silvoarable, riparian buffer strips, forest farming and homegardens). Simplification of the number of measures to promote agroforestry practices is needed to better follow up the implementation and to evaluate and provide future policies more adapted at European levels. Huge potential climate change mitigation options should be focused on the use of silvopasture on forest lands to reduce forest fires and to increase the presence of the woody component on arable lands (silvoarable) but also on the promotion of forest farming and homegardens as forms to increase the use of short supply chains and to increase the connection of urban, periurban and rural areas within a bioeconomy and circular economy framework.
M.R. Mosquera-Losada; J.J. Santiago-Freijanes; M. Rois-Díaz; G. Moreno; M. Den Herder; J.A. Aldrey-Vázquez; N. Ferreiro-Domínguez; A. Pantera; A. Pisanelli; Antonio Rigueiro-Rodríguez. Agroforestry in Europe: A land management policy tool to combat climate change. Land Use Policy 2018, 78, 603 -613.
AMA StyleM.R. Mosquera-Losada, J.J. Santiago-Freijanes, M. Rois-Díaz, G. Moreno, M. Den Herder, J.A. Aldrey-Vázquez, N. Ferreiro-Domínguez, A. Pantera, A. Pisanelli, Antonio Rigueiro-Rodríguez. Agroforestry in Europe: A land management policy tool to combat climate change. Land Use Policy. 2018; 78 ():603-613.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM.R. Mosquera-Losada; J.J. Santiago-Freijanes; M. Rois-Díaz; G. Moreno; M. Den Herder; J.A. Aldrey-Vázquez; N. Ferreiro-Domínguez; A. Pantera; A. Pisanelli; Antonio Rigueiro-Rodríguez. 2018. "Agroforestry in Europe: A land management policy tool to combat climate change." Land Use Policy 78, no. : 603-613.
Agroforestry systems are traditional land use practices widely evident in different agro-ecological environments. In Mediterranean areas they comprised the most important cultural models until the introduction of modern industrialised agriculture. Further, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU has dramatically promoted agricultural monocultures, with detrimental effects on agroforestry systems. Consequently, both tree presence across agricultural lands and the associated biological diversity have been progressively reduced. Recent research activities have highlighted interesting potentialities of modern agroforestry systems (silvo-arable systems) based on the intercropping of high quality timber species with arable crops. At present, CAP recognises agroforestry as sustainable land use practice and the current Rural Development Plans (RDP) are promoting novel agroforestry systems at farm level through the measure 2.2.2. The overall aim of the paper was to assess the potential interest in establishing and adopting silvoarable agroforestry systems at farm level. In order to reach this aim, the paper combined two different surveys: i) an on-farm survey was utilised to investigate farmers’ point of view concerning the adoption of silvo-arable systems in their farmlands in Central and Northern Italy; ii) an e-mail survey addressed to professional technicians, working as consultants in two Italian Regions (Umbria and Veneto), was utilised to evaluate their professional experience dealing with agroforestry and their attitude to promote agroforestry systems according to the measure 2.2.2 of the RDP. The results highlight the potential interest of farmers in establishing silvo-arable systems, although management constraints and economic uncertainty may strongly limit their effective adoption. From the point of view of the professionals, a lack of extension and training activities concerning agroforestry practices inhibits farmers’ participation in the measure 2.2.2. Finally, the contrast between measure 2.2.2 and the current CAP, based on the Single Farm Payment, is discussed.
Andrea Pisanelli; Anna Perali; Pierluigi Paris. Potentialities and uncertainties of novel agroforestry systems in the European C.A.P.: farmers’ and professionals’ perspectives in Italy. L'Italia Forestale e Montana 2012, 67, 289 -297.
AMA StyleAndrea Pisanelli, Anna Perali, Pierluigi Paris. Potentialities and uncertainties of novel agroforestry systems in the European C.A.P.: farmers’ and professionals’ perspectives in Italy. L'Italia Forestale e Montana. 2012; 67 (3):289-297.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Pisanelli; Anna Perali; Pierluigi Paris. 2012. "Potentialities and uncertainties of novel agroforestry systems in the European C.A.P.: farmers’ and professionals’ perspectives in Italy." L'Italia Forestale e Montana 67, no. 3: 289-297.
Pierluigi Paris; Leonardo Mareschi; Maurizio Sabatti; Andrea Pisanelli; Alfredo Ecosse; Fabrizio Nardin; Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza. Comparing hybrid Populus clones for SRF across northern Italy after two biennial rotations: Survival, growth and yield. Biomass and Bioenergy 2011, 35, 1524 -1532.
AMA StylePierluigi Paris, Leonardo Mareschi, Maurizio Sabatti, Andrea Pisanelli, Alfredo Ecosse, Fabrizio Nardin, Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza. Comparing hybrid Populus clones for SRF across northern Italy after two biennial rotations: Survival, growth and yield. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2011; 35 (4):1524-1532.
Chicago/Turabian StylePierluigi Paris; Leonardo Mareschi; Maurizio Sabatti; Andrea Pisanelli; Alfredo Ecosse; Fabrizio Nardin; Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza. 2011. "Comparing hybrid Populus clones for SRF across northern Italy after two biennial rotations: Survival, growth and yield." Biomass and Bioenergy 35, no. 4: 1524-1532.