CONSERWA (Evidence-based support for transition to agroecological weed management in diverse farming systems and European regions)
There is an urgent need to move towards sustainable weed management strategies. Agroecology offers a unique approach & seeks to transform food & agriculture systems, providing long-term solutions. Challenge 1: Agroecological practices are already applied to different degrees. However, wide adoption of agroecological weed management has lagged behind our understanding of its benefits and way to optimally apply it in different cases. Challenge 2: Even with simple agroecological practices, uptake by farmers has been limited.
Impediments to employing such practices include inadequate policy instruments, a lack of market mechanisms, and a paucity of social infrastructure with which to influence learning & decision-making by farmers. Challenge 3: Weeds are expected to become more difficult to reliably control with herbicides under increasing CO2 and climate change (CC). Nevertheless, practical implications of climate change for the many non-chemical tactics integral to agroecological weeding have not been thoroughly addressed yet.
CONSERWA will address the aforementioned challenges by: a) compiling a portfolio of agroecological farming practices, studying their optimal combinations & transferability, including suitability under CC scenarios, b) supporting the implementation of these combinations and the measurement of their performance & impacts using novel tools, c) supporting knowledge management & communication between stakeholders with
the ultimate goal of practical decision-making and impact assessment through an open DSS, d) studying factors influencing farmers’ decision-making in applying agroecological farming, working together with the value chain, such as the food processors & consultancy services.
The study will be facilitated by case studies covering all European biogeographical/pedo-climatic regions and involving a wide range of crops & farming systems. CONSERWA focuses also on training of farmers, as well as on policy making (through policy recommendations).
Duration:
1st May 2023 – 30th April 2027
Participants:
- R.I.C CYPRUS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTER LTD
- LA UNIO DE LLAURADORS I RAMADERS DEL PAIS VALENCIA
- NEAYI SAS
- ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
- STRATAGEM ENERGY LTD
- ZENTRUM FUR SOZIALE INNOVATION GMBH
- SOCIEDADE AGRO-FLORESTAL DO VALE DA ASSEICEIRA LDA
- AGROLYNX INFORMACIOS SZOLGALTATO ZARTKORUEN MUKODO RESZVENYTARSASAG
- BIOME MAKERS SPAIN SL
- UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE
- HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
- CARBONE FERTILE CENTRE NATIONAL D’AGROECOLOGIE
- AGRONOMICAL PLANT EXTRACTS AND ESSENTIAL OILS
- CAMPDEN BRI MAGYARORSZAG NONPROFITKFT
- CENTRO NACIONAL DE TECNOLOGIA Y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA
- TECNOALIMENTI SCPA
- CENTRE WALLON DE RECHERCHES AGRONOMIQUES
- EASY GLOBAL MARKET SAS
- ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS
- ASSOCIATION DE COORDINATION TECHNIQUE POUR L’INDUSTRIE AGROALIMENTAIRE
- CENTRE TECHNIQUE DE LA CONSERVATION DES PRODUITS AGRICOLES
- GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS
- ESCARDA TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
- I-DANTE LTD
- ALPES LASERS SA
- INTERNATIONAL BIOCONTROL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
- REM ANALYTICS SA
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