Table 2 Main research-issue-specific themes and sub-themes specific to agroecology, from a prospective exercise performed at INRAE. (G: genetic, M: microbial, E: environment, C: cropping, P: product).
From: A research agenda for scaling up agroecology in European countries
Issue-specific themes | Sub-themes | Common issues |
|---|---|---|
The genetic mechanism and its implications for animal and plant breeding | • Steering or taking advantage of genetic variability. Breeding criteria for plants and animals. • Assessing effects of genetic diversity (crops and livestock) and agroecosystem services • Developing genetics in a wide range of G × M × E × C × P interactions | • Collecting biological data to redesign agroecosystems in a participatory approach • Adaptability and risks through a transformation process • Conditions for scaling up: performance and resilience assessment, social learning, socio-economic viewpoints |
The landscape mechanism to contribute to agroecosystem services | • Assessing effects of heterogeneity at multiple scales of space and time • Developing integrated approaches to address the multifunctionality of landscapes • Identifying and associating the diversity of landscape actors • Supporting the design of agroecological landscapes by mobilizing actors | |
Agricultural equipment and digital technology to better monitor biological systems | • Advancing the means to measure local biodiversity in connection with the local environment • Fostering technologies to assess product heterogeneity • Developing methods to quantify ecosystem services and potentially to determine payments • Equipping the “perception-action” loop with instruments | |
Modeling to understand and predict dynamics of new agroecosystems | • Making advances in key knowledge gaps regarding interactions among agroecosystem components • Considering spatial, but also temporal, dimensions in models • Including phenotypic dimensions in agroecosystem performances • Representing the cascade from practices to biodiversity, ecosystem services, benefits, and values | |
The agroecological transition of farms as a research topic | • Modeling farms to explore possibilities (e.g., cognitive, environmental, social, organizational…). • Analyzing the agroecological transition of farms as it happens (data, obstacles and mechanisms) • Designing methods to support the agroecological transition (participatory research approach) | |
Integration of agroecology into food systems | • Characterizing products of agroecological systems • Characterizing consumers’ behavior and willingness to support agroecological products • Characterizing organization of markets, standards and public policies, and the place of agroecology • Effects of territorial and international organization of markets for agroecological products | |
Next steps: relevance, implementation, and funding | ||