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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.
Sustainability assessment is a complex field and its uptake amongst agricultural producers limited. Furthermore, the scope of current sustainability assessment tools does not extend to systems in which food production is integrated with production of non-food biomass (e.g. agroforestry). Participatory approaches to tool development offer a means to overcome the subjectivity of researcher-led tool design and thus the potential to increase relevance and engagement. In this work we develop a Delphi-style methodology as a means to produce a sustainability assessment tool suitable to assess and feedback on an integrated food/non-food system. Using a widely accepted agricultural sustainability framework and an existing farm sustainability assessment tool as a base, stakeholders were engaged with across six countries and multiple stakeholder groups to identify key indicators to be added to the tool. The methodology developed is described in detail, framed in the setting of this tool development process but providing a novel framework applicable to any situation where indicators must be developed for a complex issue of interest across multiple perspectives and stakeholder groups. Feedback and learning from the experience is provided. It was found that, contrary to some opinion, the inclusion of a face-to-face discussion round as part of the Delphi procedure provides a valuable means for information exchange and a move towards consensus amongst stakeholders. By using a ‘snowball’ approach to the in person discussions, it appears too that the loss of the voices of more socially retiring individuals can be avoided. Final levels of agreement vary substantially across the different areas of sustainability, with indicators in some areas (e.g. environmental integrity) proving much less controversial than others (e.g. social wellbeing). Despite this, the methodology effectively reaches a level of consensus amongst diverse stakeholders sufficient to guide the selection of sustainability indicators with a good level of confidence.
Samantha M. Mullender; Mignon Sandor; Andrea Pisanelli; Jerzy Kozyra; Robert Borek; Bhim B. Ghaley; Adrian Gliga; Moritz von Oppenkowski; Tim Roesler; Eldina Salkanovic; Jo Smith; Laurence G. Smith. A delphi-style approach for developing an integrated food/non-food system sustainability assessment tool. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 2020, 84, 106415 .
AMA StyleSamantha M. Mullender, Mignon Sandor, Andrea Pisanelli, Jerzy Kozyra, Robert Borek, Bhim B. Ghaley, Adrian Gliga, Moritz von Oppenkowski, Tim Roesler, Eldina Salkanovic, Jo Smith, Laurence G. Smith. A delphi-style approach for developing an integrated food/non-food system sustainability assessment tool. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 2020; 84 ():106415.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSamantha M. Mullender; Mignon Sandor; Andrea Pisanelli; Jerzy Kozyra; Robert Borek; Bhim B. Ghaley; Adrian Gliga; Moritz von Oppenkowski; Tim Roesler; Eldina Salkanovic; Jo Smith; Laurence G. Smith. 2020. "A delphi-style approach for developing an integrated food/non-food system sustainability assessment tool." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 84, no. : 106415.
Agroforestry, relative to conventional agriculture, contributes significantly to carbon sequestration, increases a range of regulating ecosystem services, and enhances biodiversity. Using a transdisciplinary approach, we combined scientific and technical knowledge to evaluate nine environmental pressures in terms of ecosystem services in European farmland and assessed the carbon storage potential of suitable agroforestry systems, proposed by regional experts. First, regions with potential environmental pressures were identified with respect to soil health (soil erosion by water and wind, low soil organic carbon), water quality (water pollution by nitrates, salinization by irrigation), areas affected by climate change (rising temperature), and by underprovision in biodiversity (pollination and pest control pressures, loss of soil biodiversity). The maps were overlaid to identify areas where several pressures accumulate. In total, 94.4% of farmlands suffer from at least one environmental pressure, pastures being less affected than arable lands. Regional hotspots were located in north-western France, Denmark, Central Spain, north and south-western Italy, Greece, and eastern Romania. The 10% of the area with the highest number of accumulated pressures were defined as Priority Areas, where the implementation of agroforestry could be particularly effective. In a second step, European agroforestry experts were asked to propose agroforestry practices suitable for the Priority Areas they were familiar with, and identified 64 different systems covering a wide range of practices. These ranged from hedgerows on field boundaries to fast growing coppices or scattered single tree systems. Third, for each proposed system, the carbon storage potential was assessed based on data from the literature and the results were scaled-up to the Priority Areas. As expected, given the wide range of agroforestry practices identified, the carbon sequestration potentials ranged between 0.09 and 7.29 t C ha−1 a−1. Implementing agroforestry on the Priority Areas could lead to a sequestration of 2.1 to 63.9 million t C a−1 (7.78 and 234.85 million t CO2eq a−1) depending on the type of agroforestry. This corresponds to between 1.4 and 43.4% of European agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Moreover, promoting agroforestry in the Priority Areas would contribute to mitigate the environmental pressures identified there. We conclude that the strategic and spatially targeted establishment of agroforestry systems could provide an effective means of meeting EU policy objectives on GHG emissions whilst providing a range of other important benefits.
Sonja Kay; Carlo Rega; Gerardo Moreno; Michael Den Herder; João H.N. Palma; Robert Borek; Josep Crous-Duran; Dirk Freese; Michail Giannitsopoulos; Anil Graves; Mareike Jäger; Norbert Lamersdorf; Daniyar Memedemin; María R Osa Mosquera-Losada; Anastasia Pantera; Maria Luisa Paracchini; Pierluigi Paris; José V. Roces-Díaz; Victor Rolo; Adolfo Rosati; Mignon Sandor; Jo Smith; Erich Szerencsits; Anna Varga; Valérie Viaud; Rafal Wawer; Paul J. Burgess; Felix Herzog. Agroforestry creates carbon sinks whilst enhancing the environment in agricultural landscapes in Europe. Land Use Policy 2019, 83, 581 -593.
AMA StyleSonja Kay, Carlo Rega, Gerardo Moreno, Michael Den Herder, João H.N. Palma, Robert Borek, Josep Crous-Duran, Dirk Freese, Michail Giannitsopoulos, Anil Graves, Mareike Jäger, Norbert Lamersdorf, Daniyar Memedemin, María R Osa Mosquera-Losada, Anastasia Pantera, Maria Luisa Paracchini, Pierluigi Paris, José V. Roces-Díaz, Victor Rolo, Adolfo Rosati, Mignon Sandor, Jo Smith, Erich Szerencsits, Anna Varga, Valérie Viaud, Rafal Wawer, Paul J. Burgess, Felix Herzog. Agroforestry creates carbon sinks whilst enhancing the environment in agricultural landscapes in Europe. Land Use Policy. 2019; 83 ():581-593.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSonja Kay; Carlo Rega; Gerardo Moreno; Michael Den Herder; João H.N. Palma; Robert Borek; Josep Crous-Duran; Dirk Freese; Michail Giannitsopoulos; Anil Graves; Mareike Jäger; Norbert Lamersdorf; Daniyar Memedemin; María R Osa Mosquera-Losada; Anastasia Pantera; Maria Luisa Paracchini; Pierluigi Paris; José V. Roces-Díaz; Victor Rolo; Adolfo Rosati; Mignon Sandor; Jo Smith; Erich Szerencsits; Anna Varga; Valérie Viaud; Rafal Wawer; Paul J. Burgess; Felix Herzog. 2019. "Agroforestry creates carbon sinks whilst enhancing the environment in agricultural landscapes in Europe." Land Use Policy 83, no. : 581-593.
The combined implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been identified as a suitable tool for the evaluation of the environmental and economic performance of multiple similar entities. In this study, a total of 82 rice paddy fields for spring and summer growing seasons in north of Iran were assessed using a combined LCA and DEA methodology to estimate the technical efficiency of each farmer. Furthermore, the environmental consequences of operational inefficiencies were quantified and target performance values benchmarked for inefficient units so that eco-efficiency criteria were verified. Results showed average reduction levels of up to 20% and 25% per material input for spring and summer systems, leading to impact reductions which ranged from 8% to 11% for spring farms and 19% to 25% for summer farms depending on the chosen impact category. Additionally, the potential economic savings from efficient farming operations were also determined. The economic results indicate that an added annual gross margin of 0.045 $ per 1 kg rice paddy could be achieved if inefficient units converted to an efficient operation.
Ali Mohammadi; Shahin Rafiee; Ali Jafari; Alireza Keyhani; Tommy Dalgaard; Marie Trydeman Knudsen; Thu Lan Thi Nguyen; Robert Borek; John E. Hermansen. Joint Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis for the benchmarking of environmental impacts in rice paddy production. Journal of Cleaner Production 2015, 106, 521 -532.
AMA StyleAli Mohammadi, Shahin Rafiee, Ali Jafari, Alireza Keyhani, Tommy Dalgaard, Marie Trydeman Knudsen, Thu Lan Thi Nguyen, Robert Borek, John E. Hermansen. Joint Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis for the benchmarking of environmental impacts in rice paddy production. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2015; 106 ():521-532.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAli Mohammadi; Shahin Rafiee; Ali Jafari; Alireza Keyhani; Tommy Dalgaard; Marie Trydeman Knudsen; Thu Lan Thi Nguyen; Robert Borek; John E. Hermansen. 2015. "Joint Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis for the benchmarking of environmental impacts in rice paddy production." Journal of Cleaner Production 106, no. : 521-532.
The aim of the work described here has been to point to the relationships between the field-forest boundary and crop productivity as regards the present agrarian land-use structure in Poland, and to provide new opportunities for arranging the agrarian process and the spatial planning of the rural landscape in the context of the sustainable shaping of the field-forest boundary. Impacts of forests and woodlands on crop productivity have been assessed using available data from relevant Polish literature. An assessment of the plot-distribution pattern characterising farms in Poland was made on the basis of reference data from the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture. Finally, the possibility of afforestation of agricultural land has been evaluated within the existing legal framework, and on the basis of available data, with attention paid to the need to include organization of the field-forest boundary within the comprehensive management and planning of rural areas, and to preserve woody elements in patchy landscapes. This all creates an opportunity to test innovative approaches to integrated land use which combines the creation of public goods and local products based on participatory learning processes that bring in local stakeholders and decision-makers.
Franciszek Woch; Robert Borek. The Role Of Management Of The Field-Forest Boundary In Poland’s Process Of Agricultural Restructuring. Papers on Global Change IGBP 2015, 22, 83 -100.
AMA StyleFranciszek Woch, Robert Borek. The Role Of Management Of The Field-Forest Boundary In Poland’s Process Of Agricultural Restructuring. Papers on Global Change IGBP. 2015; 22 (1):83-100.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFranciszek Woch; Robert Borek. 2015. "The Role Of Management Of The Field-Forest Boundary In Poland’s Process Of Agricultural Restructuring." Papers on Global Change IGBP 22, no. 1: 83-100.
This paper seeks to use state-of-the-art knowledge to depict the foundations and prospects for agroforestry systems in Poland to develop, in line with political, legal, historical and environmental conditions pertaining in the country. The main legal provisions concerning the presence of trees in agriculture are presented prior to a first-ever defining of key traditional agroforestry systems in Poland.
Robert Borek. Agroforestry Systems In Poland A Preliminary Identification. Papers on Global Change IGBP 2015, 22, 37 -51.
AMA StyleRobert Borek. Agroforestry Systems In Poland A Preliminary Identification. Papers on Global Change IGBP. 2015; 22 (1):37-51.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRobert Borek. 2015. "Agroforestry Systems In Poland A Preliminary Identification." Papers on Global Change IGBP 22, no. 1: 37-51.