Towards the real green revolution? Exploring the conceptual dimensions of a new ecological modernisation of agriculture that could ‘feed the world’

Horlings, L.G.; Marsden, Terry

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.01.004

Cited by 383 publications

(268 citation statements)

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“…for selection of adapted varieties), whereas in industrial ecology decision are made in a top-down manner that may reduce flexibility and adaption capacities of farming systems. These two rationales are close to 'weak' and 'strong' models of ecological modernisation of agricultural systems (Horlings and Marsden, 2011), respectively. While both are promising, the path to crop-livestock integration depends on the local challenges defined by the stakeholders of the territory (Stirling, 2011).…”

Section: Design Of Icls Requires Relevant Methods and Toolsmentioning

confidence: 62%

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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Section: Design Of Icls Requires Relevant Methods and Toolsmentioning

confidence: 62%

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

Moraine¹,

Duru²,

Nicholas

et al. 2014

Animal

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In this particular case, the functions relating to nitrogen use and weed control, and the life cycle of the species will be the main criteria for selecting the species. Consequently, ensuring that multiple cropping systems are successful in a wide range of locations, implies rethinking market mechanisms and organization (Horlings and Marsden 2011), and developing local markets (Berthet et al 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple cropping systems as drivers for providing multiple ecosystem services: from concepts to design

Gaba

Lescourret

Boudsocq

et al. 2014

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

286

190

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Provisioning services, such as the production of food, feed, and fiber, have always been the main focus of agriculture. Since the 1950s, intensive cropping systems based on the cultivation of a single crop or a single cultivar, in simplified rotations or monocultures, and relying on extensive use of agrochemical inputs have been preferred to more diverse, self-sustaining cropping systems, regardless of the environmental consequences. However, there is increasing evidence that such intensive agroecosystems have led to a decline in biodiversity as well as threatening the environment and have damaged a number of ecosystem services such as the biogeochemical nutrient cycles and the regulation of climate and water quality. Consequently, the current challenge facing agriculture is to ensure the future of food production while reducing the use of inputs and limiting environmental impacts and the loss of biodiversity. Here, we review examples of multiple cropping systems that aim to use biotic interactions to reduce chemical inputs and provide more ecosystem services than just provisioning. Our main findings are the identification of underlying ecological processes and management strategies related to the provision of pairs of ecosystem services namely food production and a regulation service. We also found gaps between ecological knowledge and the constraints of agricultural practices in taking account of the interactions and possible trade-offs between multiple ecosystem services as well as socioeconomic constraints. We present guidelines for the design of multiple cropping systems combining ecological, agricultural, and genetic concepts and approaches.

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“…Clearly there are multiple political spaces where challenges to the contemporary food system and its socially and environmentally unsustainable character can be resisted. Realizing alternative visions will require vigorous political activism by diverse interests at global, national and local scales (Sage 2013(Sage , 2014Horlings and Marsden 2011). Positive changes have been detailed, their implementation is urgent (Wise and Murphy 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Globalization and Malnutrition: Geographical Perspectives on Its Paradoxes

Young

2016

Eating, Drinking: Surviving

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This chapter maintains that the food system is one of the most important globally embedded networks of production and consumption; its integral connections with the petroleum industry and global security confirm its significance. The chapter establishes the complex nature of mapping and measuring malnutrition. It reviews significant shifts in the incidence of malnutrition but argues that disaggregating statistics is vital to understanding trends. Changes in theorizations of the problem of malnutrition and associated solutions are then considered, including conceptual shifts from food security to food sovereignty. The global food chain is embedded in contentious political, economic, and scientific debates. Volatility in local food prices are influenced by global factors: oil prices; energy policies; dietary changes, foreign direct investments associated with "land grabs" or financial speculation. The chapter concludes with a call for a fundamental rethinking of global food provisioning to establish a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable system.

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Towards the real green revolution? Exploring the conceptual dimensions of a new ecological modernisation of agriculture that could ‘feed the world’

Cited by 383 publications

References 50 publications

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

Multiple cropping systems as drivers for providing multiple ecosystem services: from concepts to design

Globalization and Malnutrition: Geographical Perspectives on Its Paradoxes

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