Integrity
About
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
INTEGRITY is an ongoing ERA-NET project (2021-2025). Our project will allow observing differential responses of enhanced resource use efficiency and optimize nutrient circularity with the integration of the system components at different locations based on the range of diverse production systems with different agro-climatic and socio-cultural characteristics. This project involves cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary cooperation, which is supported by the consortium’s complementary scientific skills, and reinforce and expand a history of mutual cooperative research where new partners are involved. Nine countries from three continents (America, Europe, and Oceania) are involved in this project.
APPROACH
- Different degrees of integration between the crops and livestock components of a system may have advantages or disadvantages, so trade-offs among economic (productivity, efficiency), environmental (nutrient cycling, soil health, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions), and social (work arduousness and organization, household networks) indicators will be identified.
- Gaps in knowledge regarding impacts of the integration need to be addressed to fully understand the mechanisms that reduce GHG emissions and/or increase soil C sequestration and nutrients (i.e. C, N) use efficiency in mixed production systems; and which would be the impact of proposed interventions with a broader and holistic perspective. These interventions will be specifically designed for each situation and will be evaluated experimentally to quantify their impact, not only through direct and specific effects but also in a broad sense addressing the circularity within the agricultural systems by different modeling tools.
- Standardized evaluation approaches and procedures across the different partners will allow direct comparison of the relative impact of new management alternatives.
- Stakeholders’ involvement through the process will certainly help to focus on applicable new practices and facilitate their adoption by farmers. The conformed Low Carbon Livestock - Research Network, a regional platform involving countries from America and Europe created in 2020 and supported by the GRA, will strengthen the capacity-building opportunities for young researchers and enhance the result dissemination platform.