The key ecological role of biodiversity for farmland management

Philippe Pointereau (SOLAGRO)

Natura 2000 Madrid Conference

The key ecological role of biodiversity for

farmland management

2 2

Context and challenges in France

• Context

• A loss of agricultural land (100,000 ha/year),

• A decrease in biodiversity, water quality, air quality, and soil quality

• Climate change starts to modify the agricultural pattern

• +12% of population growth in 2050 in France with additional need

• Challenges

• Feeding better the French population and some other countries in 2050

• Increasing agrosystems resilience to climate change

• Enhance biodiversity, ecological services and water quality

• Reducing GHG emissions from agriculture (by a factor of 4)

• Enhancing food and energy self sufficiency

3 3

Cimate change in France:

Serious draughts

Scénario A2 ≈ RCP 8.5

4 4

Evolution of the vegetal production per

inhabitant

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Valeurénergé quedel'ensembledesproduc onsvégétalesagricolesparhabitant

Valeurannuelle,GJ/hab

moyennecentréemobilesur10ans

Value of vegetal productions,

grains, fodder, grazing, …

Draughts

1976 and

2003

5 5

Evolution of HNV farmland 1970 – 2000 : 68%

loss (21,3 à 6,9 Mha SAU)

6 6

Le village d’Arisdorf (Suisse) en 1998...

Landscape today

7 7

… et en 1941.

Landscape before

8 8

Towels given to farmer’s wives

Which landscape for the future ?

Looking for nature

9 9

2 complementary

biodiversity approach

Pests

(aphids,

mites, etc.)

Functional biodiversity

Ecological Infrastructures

Agricultural practices

Meadow management

Genetic

resources

conservation

Endangered

species

conservation

Predators

parasitoids Pollinators Soil fauna

et flora

Butterflies Flora,

meadow

weeds,

etc.

Birds

(bustards,

vultures,

corncrak, etc.)

Mammals,

bears, wolf,

dears,

Agro

ecological

approach

Naturalistic

approach

« Natural » biodiversity

10 10

European Research Project BioBio

network of 250 farms surveyed 2010

Genetic

diversity

semi)-natural

habitats

Species

diversity

Agricultural

practices

Plot Farm Landscape

12 territories

in Europe

1 farming system

per territory

20 farms/terri

which 50% in OF

+7% species/farm

+16% +8,5%

+13% species/

parcel No différence in semi-

natural habitats

11 11

Importance of semi-natural habitats for

biodiversity

SNH

Production field

Common

Spiders

Plants Earthworms

Bees

SNH

Production field

Common

SNH

Production field

Common

SNH

Production field

Common

Austria : arable land - cereals SNH : 3.3% of UAA

12 12

Farm assessment : Dialecte tool

Crop farms : organic versus conventional

Organic farms (average of 107 farms, 94 ha)

Conventional farms (average of 144 farms, 130 ha)

13 13

Agroecological principles

Minimize rare and non

renewable resources (mineral fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, water for

irrigation, phosphorus, …)

Promote ecological

services (pollination, carbon

storage, biological control)

Promote genetic

diversity (varieties,

landraces, local seeds)

Maintain natural

resources (water, soil, air, biodiversity)

Optimise nutrient

cycles (cover crops,

legumes, mixed farming,

recycling on-farm nutrients,…)

Adaptation from Altieri

Promote the

resilience of the

systeme (diversification, autonomy,

adaptation to local conditions)

Participate to

local food

system ( labelling,

food processing at farm

level, direct marketing,

…)

14 14

Sustainable agriculture for 21st century

• soil, preserving the fertility:

• Preservation of soil structure, organic matter, soil

ecology, cover crops, low tillage, direct seeding,

agroforestry,

• Agroecology, reducing the chemical inputs

• Conservation agriculture

• Integrated production (IOBC)

• Long rotations, mixed crops, seed selection,

• Biological control

• => Ecological Focus Area for predators, parasitoïds

and pollinators: extensive grasslands, hedges, buffer

strips,

• => limit mineral nitrogen and pesticides uses and

water consumption

15 15

1 plot =

4 or 5 outputs

inte

rcro

ps

hed

gero

ws

Farming systems for the future

Co

ver c

rop

s

Ag

rofo

restry

16 16

Environmental labelling

m2 of Ecological Infrastructures per Kg of meat

Surface d'IAE rapportˇe � la production de viande selon la ferme

1

0,7

1,1

2

2

11

14

19

22

25

29

39

61

86

396

544

681

0,2

0,3

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Bovin lait autonome

Bovin lait autonome

ch¸vre lait intensif

Bovin lait bio

porc plein air bio

Ovin viande intensif autonome

Bovin viande intensif

Ovin viande semi-extensif

ch¸vre lait tr¸s extensif

Bovin viande bio autonome

bovin viande bio autonome

Ovin viande intensif

Ovin lait tr¸s extensif

Ovin viande extensif plein air

Bovin viande autonome

Ovin viande extensif

Ovin viande tr¸s extensif dehesa

Ovin viande tr¸s extensif

Ovin viande tr¸s extensif cˇvennes

Densitˇ d'IAE (en m2/kg carcasse)

17 17

Change our diet

2010

Daily consumption in g/day

2050

18 18

Thanks for your attention

[email protected]

www.solagro.org