Conceptual Framework for the Transition from Conventional to Sustainable Agriculture

Hill, Stuart B.; MacRae, Rod

doi:10.1300/j064v07n01_07

Cited by 228 publications

(154 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…robust vs. reversible transitions, Lamine, 2011) related to gradual levels of changes (i.e. Efficiency/Substitution/Redesign framework of Hill and MacRae, 1996). Spatial diversification for enhancing the natural regulation of pests may be the final stage of a 'quite slowly and step-by-step' process of change (Lamine, 2011).…”

Section: When Farmers Trigger Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Hatt

Boeraeve

Artru

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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Spatial diversification of crop and non-crop habitats in farming systems is promising for enhancing natural regulation of insect pests. Nevertheless, results from recent syntheses show variable effects.One explanation is that the abundance and diversity of pests and natural enemies are affected by the composition, design and management of crop and non-crop habitats. Moreover, interactions between both local and landscape elements and practices carried out at different spatial scales may affect the regulation of insect pests. Hence, research is being conducted to understand these interdependencies.However, insects are not the only pests and pests are not the only elements to regulate in agroecosystems. Broadening the scope could allow addressing multiple issues simultaneously, but also solving them together by enhancing synergies. Indeed, spatial diversification of crop and non-crop habitats can allow addressing the issues of weeds and pathogens, along with being beneficial to several other regulating services like pollination, soil conservation and nutrient cycling. Although calls rise to develop multifunctional landscapes that optimize the delivery of multiple ecosystem services, it still represents a scientific challenge today. Enhancing interdisciplinarity in research institutions and building interrelations between scientists and stakeholders may help reach this goal. Despite obstacles, positive results from research based on such innovative approaches are encouraging for engaging 2 science in this path. Hence, the aim of the present paper is to offer an update on these issues by exploring the most recent findings and discussing these results to highlight needs for future research.

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Section: When Farmers Trigger Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Hatt

Boeraeve

Artru

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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“…These two forms of ecological modernization necessarily represent two extremes over a range, and strong ecological modernization of agriculture can include principles and mechanisms of weak ecological modernization of agriculture, at least temporarily during a transition phase (Brussaard et al 2010;Duru and Therond 2014). The efficiency-substitution-redesign (E-S-R) framework developed by agricultural scientists (Hill and MacRae 1995;Hill 1998) also help to inform these two forms of ecological modernization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to implement biodiversity-based agriculture to enhance ecosystem services: a review

Duru

Thérond

Martin

et al. 2015

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

461

283

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Intensive agriculture has led to several drawbacks such as biodiversity loss, climate change, erosion, and pollution of air and water. A potential solution is to implement management practices that increase the level of provision of ecosystem services such as soil fertility and biological regulation. There is a lot of literature on the principles of agroecology. However, there is a gap of knowledge between agroecological principles and practical applications. Therefore, we review here agroecological and management sciences to identify two facts that explain the lack of practical applications: (1) the occurrence of high uncertainties about relations between agricultural practices, ecological processes, and ecosystem services, and (2) the site-specific character of agroecological practices required to deliver expected ecosystem services. We also show that an adaptive-management approach, focusing on planning and monitoring, can serve as a framework for developing and implementing learning tools tailored for biodiversity-based agriculture. Among the current learning tools developed by researchers, we identify two main types of emergent support tools likely to help design diversified farming systems and landscapes: (1) knowledge bases containing scientific supports and experiential knowledge and (2) model-based games. These tools have to be coupled with well-tailored field or management indicators that allow monitoring effects of practices on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Finally, we propose a research agenda that requires bringing together contributions from agricultural, ecological, management, and knowledge management sciences, and asserts that researchers have to take the position of "integration and implementation sciences."

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“…Alternatively, 'explorative' innovations can be defined as practices of real pioneers or unachieved ideas (Jansen et al, 2006). Hill and MacRae (1995) propose a classification of innovation according the degree of change in the farming system through their 'efficiencysubstitution-redesign' framework. An increase in input-use efficiency or input substitution most often represents exploitative innovation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

Moraine¹,

Duru²,

Nicholas

et al. 2014

Animal

113

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The development of integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) is a major challenge for the ecological modernisation of agriculture but appears difficult to implement at a large scale. A participatory method for ICLS design has been developed and implemented in 15 case studies across Europe, representing a range of production systems, challenges, constraints and resources for innovation. Local stakeholders, primarily farmers, but also cooperatives, environmental-association representatives and natural-resource managers, were involved in the identification of challenges and existing initiatives of crop-livestock integration; in the design of new options at field, farm and territory levels; and then in qualitative multicriteria assessment of these options. A conceptual framework based on a conceptual model (crops, grasslands, animals) was developed to act as a boundary object in the design step and invite innovative thinking in 'metabolic' and 'ecosystemic' approaches. A diversity of crops and grasslands interacting with animals appeared central for designing sustainable farming systems at the territory level, providing and benefitting from ecosystem services. Within this diversity, we define three types of integrated systems according to their degrees of spatial and temporal coordination: complementarity, local synergy, territorial synergy. Moreover, the options for cooperation and collective organisation between farmers and other stakeholders in territories to organise and manage this diversity of land use revealed opportunities for smart social innovation. The qualitative multicriteria assessment identified farmer workload as the main issue of concern while demonstrating expected benefits of ICLS simultaneously for economic, agronomic, environmental and social criteria. This study concludes that participatory design of ICLS based on a generic multi-level and multi-domain framework and a methodology to deal with a local context can identify new systems to be tested. Further assessment and redesign work will be performed in later stages of the European FP7 CANTOGETHER project.

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Conceptual Framework for the Transition from Conventional to Sustainable Agriculture

Cited by 228 publications

References 6 publications

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

Spatial diversification of agroecosystems to enhance biological control and other regulating services: An agroecological perspective

How to implement biodiversity-based agriculture to enhance ecosystem services: a review

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

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