EU-FarmBook

Biogas done right: 10 "FARMING FOR FUTURE” actions for the agroecological transition. In particular, the aim is a greater stock efficency of C and N into the soils and a lower GHG and N emissions in the atmosphere linked to the digestate use in agriculture. Ecological practices (minimum soil tillage, innovative low-emission systems for the distribution of digestate) to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and increase the supply of organic matter in the soils. The "FARMING FOR FUTURE" actions for the agroecological transition are the follow: - Renewable energy in agriculture, replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources to reduce pollution and emissions; - Agriculture 4.0, adopt advanced agricultural techniques and farming to optimize the use of nutrients; - Livestock manure management,use livestock manure and agricultural by-product to reduce emissions and produce renewable bioenergy - Organic fertilization, using digestate to guarantee the return of nutrients into the soil and reduce the chemical input; - Innovative agricultural processes, adopt agronomic techniques (e.g., minimum tillage, no-tillage, organic fertilization) to reduce emissions into the atmosphere; - Quality and animal welfare, implement agricultural and farm techniques to improve quality and animal welfare. - Increase in soil fertility, adopt double crops to increase carbon sequestration and soil fertility; - Agroforestry, integrate woody crops to increase photosynthesis and organic matter into the soil; - Production and utilisation of biomaterials, using biological, natural and renewable materials - Biogas and other renewable gas, produce methane and hydrogen from agricultural biogas.

• Sustainable agrotechnics
• Renewable fertilizers
• Fertigation
• Digestate microfiltration
• Subsurface drip fertigation

In the framework of the Strength2Food project, Eco-Sensus, a local non-profit organization based in Hungary, the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade, and the NGO EUTA, Serbia, implemented a joint pilot action to expand co-operation and regional food labelling. The pilot action aimed at finding ways in which fresh, healthy, and quality food products can become accessible to local, regional, and international markets via farmers’ co-operation and regional branding, thus increasing opportunities and returns to local farmers. The key recommendations of this pilot action are as follows: For sector practitioners: - Increase innovation of the agricultural sector, both at production and marketing level, to improve farmers’ income; - Opt for organic production and invest more in product labelling and branding; - Develop tools to support local production that take into consideration economic and non-economic factors; - Explore consumers’ preferences to develop effective and sustainable local food systems; - Promote the development of new cooperatives of small farmers. For policy makers: - Restructure national incentive systems for small farmers; - Establish quality and safety standard control systems to support export-oriented practices; - Promote common branding for regional products; - Discourage unfair trade practices; - Make grant and tender procedures more accessible and ensure funds for innovative producers‘ initiatives; - Facilitate multi-stakeholder connections and public-co-operative-partnerships.

• Producer cooperation
• regional food labelling
• pilot action
• Hungary
• Serbia
• recommendations

ReMIX aimed at analysing and optimizing the functioning of species mixtures, also called intercrops, in order to help design sustainable and diversified cropping systems for both conventional and organic agriculture. The studied species mixtures were mainly cereals and grain legumes. Eleven multi-actor platforms (MAPs) were set up in ten countries in order to demonstrate potential performances and interests of species mixtures. MAPs were a rich picture of promising species mixtures embedded in local negotiations and adjustments by relevant actors securing developing effective solutions fitted to the social and economic context in which farmers operate. Several knowledge syntheses, new experimental and modelling studies have been carried out to determine how plant traits (e.g. root architecture and canopy morphology), cropping practices (e.g. plant density), and environment (availability of N, P and water, light quality) influence the performances of species mixtures as compared to sole crops for the capture of abiotic resources and the control of animal pests, diseases and weeds. Novel ideas and specific concepts were developed in order to support breeding for intercropping. As much as possible, we aimed at converting scientific results into practical tools and synthetic information disseminated not only to farmers, advisors, and other farming sector stakeholders, but also to policy makers.

• Intercropping
• cereal-legume mixture
• multi-actor approach