FACCE MACSUR Reports (Modelling European Agriculture with Climate Change for Food Security)
Not a member yet
471 research outputs found
Sort by
A framework for assessing the uncertainty in crop model predictions
Get PDFIt is of major importance in modeling to understand and quantify the uncertainty in model predictions, both in order to know how much confidence to have in those predictions, and as a first step toward model improvement. Here we show that there are basically three different approaches to evaluating uncertainty, and we explain the advantages and drawbacks of each. This is a necessary first step toward developing protocols for evaluation of uncertainty and so obtaining a clearer picture of the reliability of crop models
Farm level dynamic economic modelling of crop rotation with adaptation practices
No full textAgriculture is facing increasing challenges under volatile commodity markets, on-going climate change with more frequent extreme weather events and tightened environmental constraints. Crop rotation is considered essential and may even gain more importance for sustainable farming in the context of climate change challenges while monocropping is expected to become increasingly problematic. This is, among others, because of increasing plant protection challenges due to warmer climate which is expected to result in severe droughts, heavy rainfall and waterlogging in northern latitudes more frequently. Such changes require improved soil structure and water retention, also aided by crop rotations, to avoid yield losses. Our objective is to build and apply a dynamic optimization model of farm level crop rotation on many field parcels over 30-40 years. The model takes into account various adaptation management methods such as fungicide treatment, soil improvements such as liming, and nitrogen fertilization, simultaneously with dynamic crop rotation choices. However, these management options come along with costs. Using the model, outcomes of crop growth simulation modeling can be included into economic analysis. Simulated new cultivars, suited for a longer growing season, can be defined as alternatives to current cultivars, both having specific nutrient and other input requirements such as water, labor or pesticides. The model is used in evaluating the value of future cultivars and other management practices in climate and socio-economic scenarios. The first results show that expected market prices have major impacts on the management choices, the resulting yield levels, production and income over time
Results of uncalibrated model runs available (ROTATIONEFFECTS)
No full textThe study ROTATIONEFFECT aims to compare the output of different models simulating field data sets with multi-year crop rotations including different treatments. Data sets for 5 locations in Europe were distributed to 19 interested modeller groups comprising a total of 201 crop growth seasons. In a first step only minimal information for calibration were provided to the modellers. In total 14 modelling teams sent their “uncalibrated” results as single-year calculations and/or calculations of rotation depending on the capability of the model. 7-10 models were capable to run the rotations as continuous runs. Up to 12 models provided single year simulations of at least one crop. Comparing results of models which provided both single year and continuous runs, show a little lower root mean square error for the continuous rotations runs. Cereal crop yields were generally better simulated than tuber/beet yields. Additionally, the models’ response to various treatments (irrigation/rainfed, nitrogen level, CO2 level, residue management/ tillage, catch crops) were compared to observed differences. First indicators of model performance have been developed and presented at international conferences
Vul’Clim – Climate change vulnerability studies in the region Auvergne (France)
Get PDFThe region Auvergne (France) is a major livestock territory in Europe (beef and dairy cattle with permanent grasslands), with a place in climate change regional studies assisting policy makers and actors in identifying adaptation and mitigation measures. Vul’Clim is a research grant (Bourse Recherche Filière) of the region Auvergne (February 2014-September 2015) to develop model-based vulnerability analysis approaches for a detailed assessment of climate change impacts at regional scale. Its main goal is the creation of a computer-aided platform for vulnerability assessment of grasslands, in interaction with stakeholders from a cluster of eco-enterprises. A modelling engine provided by the mechanistic, biogeochemical model PaSim (Pasture Simulation model) is the core of the platform. An action studies the changes of scales by varying the granularity of the data available at a given scale (e.g. climate data supplied by global scenarios) to let them being exploited at another scale (e.g. high-resolution pixels). Another action is to develop an assessment framework linking modelling tools to entry data and outputs, including a variety of components: data-entry manager at different spatial resolutions; automatic computation of indicators; gap-filling and data quality check; simulation kernel with the model(s) used; device to represent results as maps and integrated indicators
The FACCE MACSUR Mid-Term Scientific Conference: ‘Achievements, Activities, Advancement’
Get PDFThe mid-term meeting was held in Sassari, Sardinia, 1-4 April 2014. The meeting was attended by 120 researchers and stakeholders from 16 countries (Fig. 1). After a day of looking back on the achievements during the first two years and presenting results to stakeholders, researchers focused on fine-tuning the planning of remaining work for the project till May 2015 and preparations for a follow-up project (MACSUR2) till May 2017. On an excursion, scientists and stakeholders visited farms in the Oristano region, one of the regional case studies of MACSUR. The meeting was a unique opportunity in this pan-European project for discussing in person common issues with and among stakeholders of different regions and how to approach the impact of climate change to producing food in Europe in a world with a growing population. A report in La Nueva Sardegna highlighted the conference.Excursion: dairy sheep farm "Su Pranu"(Siamanna), dairy cattle farm "Sardo Farm" (Arborea), Arborea CooperativeRecordings of the presentations are available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_joXlUIJ_NBW8cWOgh0_gThe presentations are available in the supplement to this issue. Short papers derived from the presentations are available on the conference website and in FACCE MACSUR Reports vol 3.The food consumed during lunches at the conference originated mostly from the Oristano region. Remaining food in good condition was donated to a charity organisation for needy people.Fig. 1. Number of participants per country
Stakeholder consultation on functions of grasslands in Europe
No full textActive participation of stakeholders was one of the key objectives of the FP7-funded project MultiSward (Grant Agreement n° FP7-244983). MultiSward aimed to increase the reliance of farmers on grasslands and on multi-species swards for competitive and sustainable ruminant production systems. Stakeholders were consulted via international and national meetings. Furthermore, an on-line questionnaire on the functions of grasslands was developed in eight languages and almost 2000 valid responses were obtained from European stakeholders. All of the stakeholder groups that were identified as being important in the stakeholder analysis responded to the questionnaire: primary producers, policy makers, researchers, advisors, NGO’s (for nature conservation and for protection of the environment), industry (mainly processing and seed industry) and education. This method of stakeholder consultation will be illustrated using the results on appreciation of the following functions of grasslands: adaptation to climate change, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration
Sustainable food consumption as a mitigation and adaptation strategy
No full textStudies of GHG emissions from agriculture show that there are large differences in emissions from different products. In addition some foods require more land and water resources than others, which mean that in a future with food scarcity, moving from less to more sustainable food may become a necessity for there to be enough food for everyone. A changing of consumption and production from less to more sustainable food is thus both a mitigation strategy, as well as an adaptation strategy if climate change results in less available agricultural land and water resources, and more food loss due to more extreme weather conditions. Forecasting the economic consequences of climate change on agricultural production cannot be done without taking into account our future consumption patterns. What will be produced will always to a large extent be a result of what is being demanded by consumers. This is a presentation of two ongoing projects related to this theme. One is a newly started project on factors which influence meat consumption. In a cross-country regression analysis we will estimate the importance of different factors such as income, price levels and degree of urbanization. We are particularly interested in the interlinkages between meat production and consumption at national levels. The other project looks at typical diets in England, Spain and Norway, and will estimate through a multi objective optimization process how the diets can be changed, through taxes and subsidies, towards a diet which is both more healthy and climate friendly
Environmental impacts of grassland management and livestock production
No full textThe potential of grasslands to sequester carbon and provide feed for livestock production depends on the one hand on climatic conditions but secondly on management and grazing pressure. Using a global vegetation model considering different management and grazing options, effects of livestock density on primary productivity can be assessed. It is expected that low animal densities enhance productivity whereas increasing grazing pressure may deteriorate grass plants. Thus, the optimal animal density depend on the specific primary production of the pasture and optimal grazing intensity. Using these optimal grass yields, the impacts of livestock production on resource use is assessed by applying the global land use model MAgPIE. This model integrates a detailed representation of the livestock sector and integrates socio-economic regional information with spatially explicit biophysical data. With scenario analysis we analyze the impact of livestock production on future deforestation and land use. Our results indicate that the reduction of animal derived calory demand has a huge potential to spare land for nature and reduce deforestation. On the supply side, feeding efficiency gains can help to decrease demand for land and overall biomass requirements
TradeM planning session of pilot studies
No full textTradeM will organise a session to plan for the three regional pilot studies. Focus will be on the expected outcomes until early 2015 (e.g. progress in farm modelling, and other scientific advancements – uncertainty, model integration). In addition to the planning of the regional pilot studies for the remaining year in MACSUR, we will also elaborate proposals for the years 2015-2017. Moreover, the session will enable research groups to present and discuss their plans for cross-theme investigations