We are honored to announce that the Center for Study and Research for AgroForestry Biodiversity “Acad. David Davidescu” – C.S.C.B.A.S. – has been part of the famous BLUECAAN network, since August. We await your opinions and requests at the address of dobrescu@acad.ro or cscsbas@yahoo.com.
Details:
As the high latitude northern regions are facing rapid environmental changes induced by climate change BLUCAAN has a strong emphasis on northern-relevant agricultural research. A significant emphasis is placed on assessing and evaluating the suitability of traditional and modern agronomic practices for climate adaptation and mitigation, on their profitability, impact on local communities and welfare of farmers and indigenous people. Farmers across central and northern Europe have already been facing extreme weather events causing yield losses and/or reduced quality in 2017 (wet and cold) and in 2018 (dry and hot). In addition to increased occurrence and intensity of climate changerelated extreme events (IPCC, 2013), adaptation of agriculture in northern regions requires tailored management alternatives and political decisions. This is not supported by the current body of knowledge. Thus, it is critical to accelerate applied research in support of these developments, and there is an obvious need for a cohesive agricultural research network that integrates natural sciences, social sciences, and policy development across the northern region.
Specific challenges that BLUCAAN will address are:
- Interdisciplinary challenges: Although climate change induced opportunities and challenges are known (Wiréhn, 2018), agricultural research and development still lacks interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration beyond national and/or regional borders (FAO, 2015). Regional variation in agricultural traditions, knowledge transfer, and mutual learning between actors in established temperate regions and those in BLUCAAN’s target region are an opportunity to ensure sustainable development of northern agriculture. However, the complexity of variable natural, cultural, and regulatory environments within which northern agriculture does and will develop requires urgently a complex but coherent approach to translate and transfer knowledge. 2. Agricultural challenges: Change of climatic conditions relevant to agricultural production (Jeong et al., 2011; King, 2018; Peltonen-Sainio, 2018) will affect land use, management of soil and water, and crop diversity (Martin et al., 2017; Peltonen-Sainio, 2012; Wiréhn, 2018). Crop diversification will allow to cultivate traditional and introduced crops (e.g., Amaranthus spec., Hordeum vulgare L., Avena sativa L., Fagopyrum esculentum L., Linum usitatissimum L., Chenopodium quinoa Wild., pulse crops), but extant agricultural practices (e.g., crop rotations) are poorly adapted to changing climate and agricultural opportunities. Potential management strategies are multi-fold (Wiréhn, 2018), but their adaptation measures are not known. Hence, it is essential to assess potential agronomic risks of fluctuating weather conditions that will be typical for the boreal regions. In addition, early-warning systems allowing farmers to act in advance will be developed. Grassland, particularly, is a typical agricultural land use system in the Nordic countries providing fodder for animal husbandry (Helgadóttir et al., 2014; Soergaard et al., 2007). Warming autumns coupled with changing photoperiod and unique day-length regime in high latitudes, particularly in northern latitudes, lead to inadequate winter hardening (Dalmannsdottir et al., 2017). Diminished winter hardiness and more variable winter conditions can increase the risk of winter damages in perennial crops such as grassland (Ergon et al., 2018; Rapacz et al., 2014). Therefore, special breeding strategies must be adapted for these areas. Potential new and emerging pests and diseases are expected to impair performance of crops and grasses in warming northern agroecosystems (Wiréhn, 2018). However, the current knowledge of new and emerging pests and diseases on crops and grasses is poor. This knowledge is crucial to develop effective and sustainable solutions to manage plant diseases and fertilizer regimes while avoiding environmental damage.
- Ecological challenges: Soils that are typical for northern regions are highly vulnerable to agriculture (Histosols), less attractive for agriculture (e.g. Podsols), or require intense amelioration prior to cultivation (Driessen et al., 2001; Helgadóttir et al., 2014, FAO, 2019). Moreover, land use changes from both forests and grasslands to agricultural land are key drivers for loss of species biodiversity (i.e. Toews et al., 2017; Mori et al., 2017; Vilmi et al., 2017, Ranius, et al., 2018) and carbon from biomass and soil (Bradshaw and Warkentin, 2015; Guo and Gifford, 2002; IPCC, 2014; Stralberg et al., 2015). Moreover, the mostly sandy soils of northern regions (e.g. Podsols) have higher infiltration and percolation rates and are prone to leaching of applied fertilizers and pesticides, enhancing the risk for polluting groundwater and connected water bodies and ecosystems (Altdorff et al., 2017). An adjusted approach for agricultural land conversion and agronomic practice is absolutely needed to meet the requirements of the proposed global sustainability and carbon budget in the 21st century (i.e. United Nations, 2018; FAO, 2018). Therefore, evidence-based strategies (best practices) and legal regulations are essential to ensure that conversion of forests and grassland into agricultural production does not have a negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions or leave a large ecological footprint. Ensuring competitiveness of agricultural production in the northern regions may require product-specific intensification (e.g. cereal production) and extensification (low-input systems, e.g. beef production), which should be based on reliable criteria and verified decision-support tools.
- Socio-economic challenge: Climate change will affect both current farming practices and the related social structures, and changing agri-food value chains (i.e. economic structures), but also create new opportunities and challenges. For example, a prolonged and warmer growing season is assumed to increase plant productivity and diversity (Martin et al., 2017; Wiréhn, 2018), which can increase the resilience of farming systems in northern regions. On the other hand, it is evident that the agricultural sector is not adapting quickly enough to prevent yield losses (e.g., drought-induced losses in 2018 and 2019) or to capitalize on potential benefits from climate change (e.g., crop diversification). There is little immediate apparent support for northern expansion of agriculture. This might be attributed to notable shifts in northern populations and their food preferences; most regulatory support for new agricultural activities aim at decentralisation of food supply in remote communities. Within this context it is of interest to understand how the scientific community perceives the extent and likelihood of agricultural expansion in the northern regions, and the urgency of developing management strategies for changing agri-food value chains. This raises critical social questions, superimposed on an urgent need for a strong scientific support to update, strengthen, develop, and/or establish a coherent advisory system to insure the sustainability of such expansion in the boreal region.
- Political challenge: Climate change, directly and indirectly, explains the rapid environmental changes observed in northern agro-ecosystems (IPCC, 2013; Peltonen-Sainio, 2012). As the rate of warming in the northern regions is faster than the global average (IPCC, 2013), climate change is one of the most serious threats to these agro-ecosystems and the related economies and communities. Therefore an urgent need exists to develop agricultural practices and policies appropriate to generate benefits from increasing plant production while preserving environmental functionality. Assuming that implementation and realization of any investment into agricultural research and development takes several years or even decades (FAO, 2015; Pardey et al., 2016), and generally follows active initiation of production, anticipatory approaches should be open for research activities beyond entrenched ways of thinking focussing only on the current situation. Thus, BLUCAAN will focus on assessing agricultural practices and policies that support timely development of competitive agriculture in northern regions while avoiding environmental damages (e.g., loss of biodiversity, excessive deforestation) and loss of carbon and nutrients that have accompanied the relatively recent ecosystem conversions to production agriculture (Aune et al., 2018; Wei et al., 2014).
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