The sustainability of agricultural intensification in the early 21st century:insights from the olive oil production in Alentejo (Southern Portugal)

Silveira, ANDRé; Ferrão, João; Muñoz-Rojas, José; Correia, Teresa Pinto; Guimarães, Maria Helena; Schmidt, Luísa

doi:10.31447/ics9789726715054.10

Cited by 23 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The SPS studied in this research were areas with native grasses and Eucalyptus globulus globulus trees for paper pulp production. The trees were planted with a space of two meters between each tree (see Figure 2 ), besides the open spaces constituted by areas that could not be planted and fire-break roads [ 21 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Silvopastoral Systems for Keeping Beef Cattle

Huertas

Bobadilla

Alcántara

et al. 2021

Animals

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The potential benefits of keeping Zebu cattle in silvopastoral systems are well described in tropical regions. In order to obtain information on European breeds of beef cattle (Bos taurus taurus) in temperate climate zones, individual records of body weight and welfare indicators were obtained from 130 beef cattle. These belonged to four herds and were randomly allocated to two contiguous plots: Silvopastoral Systems (SPS) and Open Pastures Systems (OPS). The SPS in this study were areas with exotic trees of Eucalyptus globulus globulus for paper pulp production planted in a 2 × 2 design (two meters between each tree) over diverse, native grasses. The OPS were large open areas with a great diversity of native grasses, herbs, and small plots of trees where the animals could rest and shelter from extreme weather conditions. Over the course of one year, individual body weights and a number of specific animal welfare indicators were measured every 45 days. After a descriptive analysis, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with a Gaussian distribution, with time and system (OPS or SPS) fitted as fixed effects and individuals nested by herd as random intercepts, was used. The results showed that weight gain did not differ between the two systems. None of the animals showed any sign of impaired welfare in either system over the study period. Silvopastoral systems offer animals a sustainable and richer environment that will improves their welfare. The additional income provided by the wood production allows the farmers to maintain their traditional cattle farming lifestyle.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Silvopastoral Systems for Keeping Beef Cattle

Huertas

Bobadilla

Alcántara

et al. 2021

Animals

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“…These include fears over the overexploitation and contamination of water [41,42], homogenization of the landscapes and social disparity, and prevalence of foreign economic interests over the wellbeing of local inhabitants [43]. Further, several authors note that current governmental subsidies for water prices mask production cost [43,44], and are expected to increase [45]. Therefore, in the long run, one should question whether current investments in water demanding crops will be sustainable in the long run.…”

Section: Dealing With Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling Contrasting Preferred Trajectories of Local Development in Southeast Portugal

Esgalhado

Guimarães

2020

Land

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Mediterranean land systems are amongst the most susceptible to global change, in part due to the region’s vulnerability to climate change and misfit within a high production demanding political and societal setting. The impact of global drivers at a local scale (i.e., the possible trajectories of change of a territory) are context-dependent, and to some extent dependent on how local actors perceive them and act upon them. In this study, we focused on southeast Portugal and conducted 22 interviews and 1 collective workshop to understand how different actors across the territory anticipate the development of the region and its land systems. From our results, we get a picture of a depopulated territory, constrained by ill-adjusted policies to its harsh conditions, including little water availability and continuous depopulation. We found contrasting preferred trajectories of development for the territory. On one hand, there is a preference for prioritizing traditional land systems, usually rainfed and multifunctional. Contrasting, a need for water reservoirs that would increase water availability and allow for profitable agricultural activities and thus fixate population is recognized. The different perspectives fit with a wider debate on the role of agriculture, intensification and ecosystem services under an increasingly arid Mediterranean. The next challenge is to integrate technical expertise and knowledge with local needs and initiatives, to fit in a broader scale strategic plan. We identify a lack of technical support regarding soil health. Poor soil, from the perspective of several stakeholders, is a characteristic of the region. Knowledge dissemination is urgent so that farmers can proactively improve soil health and benefit from its capacity to increase production and retain water. We urge a higher effort from the scientific community focusing on marginal areas, supporting knowledge dissemination and analysis of the impacts of different trajectories of development.

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“…The climate is Mediterranean mesothermic with a rainfall rate of 500-600 mm yearly, and dry and warm summers. The population density has been falling over recent decades and was in 2013 22.7 people/km 2 , almost five times lower than the national mean [26]. According to the European regional classification of rural-urban areas [27], Alentejo is a predominantly rural region.…”

Section: Case Study Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Farmland with access to irrigation is rapidly being transformed into intensive land systems of olive and almond production as well as horticulture. Opportunities for land systems change linked to the Alqueva reservoir are the material expression of the dominant discourse of agricultural modernization and financialization [26,32]. This has attracted new individual farmers and external investors to the region.…”

Section: Case Study Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The investment required to set up a new agricultural business, along with the long period required for a farm to generate investment returns, also limits opportunities for YF. Terms for investment returns are longer for traditional crops and commodities and shorter for irrigated intensive crops [26]. However, the latter types of crops require higher initial investment.…”

Section: Barriers To Set-upmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A “Young Farmer Problem”? Opportunities and Constraints for Generational Renewal in Farm Management: An Example from Southern Europe

Eistrup

Sanches

Muñoz-Rojas

et al. 2019

Land

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The existence of a “young farmer problem” in Europe has been recognized by scientists and policy-makers and is based on the widespread acknowledgement of the poor generational renewal rates in the farming sector and in particular in farmland management across the European Union. Despite existing support policy measures, young farmers (YF) face barriers which hamper the establishment and consolidation of their farming enterprises. Focusing on Alentejo (NUTS II), in Portugal, this paper identifies the difficulties YF face to accessing land, the high investment costs required to set up a farming unit, and the insufficient access to credit as the main reasons why young people are prevented from setting up their farming enterprises. Existing policy support measures targeting YF are widely perceived as inefficient with regard to triggering generational renewal. Hence, our findings suggest that not only is it necessary to pay greater attention to the complex question of land tenure, but that also the impact of policies implemented in the past should be examined in detail in order to develop and implement more effective measures that are sensitive to the different national and regional contexts.

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The sustainability of agricultural intensification in the early 21st century:insights from the olive oil production in Alentejo (Southern Portugal)

Cited by 23 publications

References 9 publications

Benefits of Silvopastoral Systems for Keeping Beef Cattle

Benefits of Silvopastoral Systems for Keeping Beef Cattle

Unveiling Contrasting Preferred Trajectories of Local Development in Southeast Portugal

A “Young Farmer Problem”? Opportunities and Constraints for Generational Renewal in Farm Management: An Example from Southern Europe

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