Multi-actor and transdisciplinary development of efficient and resilient MIXED farming and agroforestry-systems

MIXED is a multi-actor project to drive the development of European Mixed Farming and Agroforestry Systems (MiFAS) that optimize efficiency and resource use, reduce GHG emissions, and show greater resilience to climate change by considering agronomic, technical, environmental, economic and social advantages and constraints.

The project will, through a participatory and transdisciplinary process, develop, improve and implement efficient and resilient MiFAS in collaboration between organic and conventional networks of farmers, advisors, researchers and other stakeholders. Assessment of potential impacts on environment and mitigation and adaptation to climate change will be made at the farm, landscape and value chain level.

The development of new and improved MiFAS will include combined effects on crop and livestock production, livestock health and welfare, soil structure and fertility. Methods for landscape resilience assessments will be developed and life cycle assessment methodologies adapted to selected value chains and MiFAS including modelling of carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Indicators (economic factors, nutrients, GHG, etc.) and socio-economic factors important for farmers’ decision-making for transition to or improving efficiency and resilience of MiFAS will be integrated in farm-level decision support tools.

Assessment of trade-offs and synergies between efficiency and resilience of MiFAS at multiple levels will inform discussions between policy makers and the agricultural sector for the support of strategies for larger-scale implementation of MiFAS. The project will facilitate dialogue and dissemination of MiFAS to farmers as well as to decisions makers at regional and EU level to ensure the highest levels of implementation of MiFAS at farm and landscape scale for efficient and resilient production and performance in terms of climate change and ecosystems services.

The overall project objective is to: support the development of European Mixed Farming and Agroforestry Systems (MiFAS) that optimize efficiency and resource use, reduce GHG emissions, and show greater resilience to climate change by considering agronomic, technical, environmental, economic, institutional, infrastructure and social advantages and constraints.
Through a multi-actor, multi-scale and transdisciplinary approach, the project will deliver the expected impacts by achieving the following specific objectives organized under four main headings:
Co-creation of knowledge and innovations for enhanced Mixed Farming and Agroforestry Systems (MiFAS)

• Develop, improve and implement efficient and resilient MiFAS together with Networks of farmers and related agro-feed, energy, food and non-food value chains. (Work package 1)
• Development and assessment of MiFAS
• Develop efficient and resilient mixed farming systems with integration of crops, livestock and forestry activities with climate change mitigation and adaption potential. (Work package 2)
• Characterize mixed landscapes in Europe and assess effects of MiFAS on environmental impacts, climate change resilience and other ecosystem services at the landscape and regional scale. (Work package 3)
• Assess the environmental and economic impacts in value chains of increased integration of crops, trees and livestock as well as impacts on climate change mitigation and adaptation. (Work package 4)
• Decision-support for MiFAS
• Determine under which conditions the introduction of MiFAS will provide improved resilience, efficiency and environmental benefits, including increased mitigation and adaptation potential to climate change, and develop decision support tools to ease farmers’ transformation to such systems. (Work package 5)
• Estimate at multiple scales the consequences of introducing innovative MiFAS at the farm, community, regional and EU scale in terms of resilience, efficiency, climate change mitigation potential and delivery of other ecosystem services as well as on rural development in a wider context. (Work package 6)
• Dissemination and communication
• Facilitate the dialogue between scientists, farmers, policy-makers, society, and other stakeholders, promote the flow of knowledge regarding efficient and resilient MiFAS, and increase the adoption of innovative practices and new business models by farmers. (Work package 7)

• EU H2020 - SFS-2019-2
• LC-SFS-19-2018-2019: Climate-smart and resilient farming B. [2019] Efficiency and resilience of mixed farming and agroforestry systems (RIA).

• European Commission, Horizon 2020

• Aarhus Universitet DK
• Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH
• Aberystwyth University, UK
• Wageningen University, NL
• SRUC, UK
• Institut national de la recherche agronomique, FR
• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, AT
• Instytut uprawy nawozenia i gleboznawstwa, panstwowy instytut badawczy, PL
• Institute of Agricultural Economics, RO
• Organic Denmark/Økologisk landsforening, DK
• Agroof, FR
• Consulai - Consultoria Agro-industrial, Lda, PT
• Instituto Superior de Agronomia, PT
• Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd, UK
• Verein für Ländliche Strukturforschung e.V., DE
• Fundacja Imienia Stanisława Karłowskiego, PL
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schwäbisches Donaumoos e.V., DE
• Hochstamm Suisse/ Hautes-tiges Suisse, CH
• Asociatia Grupal de Actiune Locala Fagarasul de Sud-Tinutul Posadelor, RO

• Moakes Simon (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Quiédeville Sylvain (Department of Food System Sciences)

• Frick Rebekka (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Home Robert (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Oggiano Philipp (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Pfeifer Catherine (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Thompson Michael John (Department of Food System Sciences)
• Weiner Mareike (Department of Food System Sciences)

Work Package 5 leader
Task leads or activities in all WPs

• Agri-Food Systems (Department of Food System Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)