Understanding and improving the sustainability of agro-ecological farming systems in the EU (UNISECO)

Geographical location	Germany
Main geographical location (NUTS3)	Braunschweig, Kreisfreie Stadt
Keywords	Farming practice Landscape / land management Agricultural production system Animal husbandry and welfare
Additional keywords	agroecology
Main funding source	Horizon 2020 (EU Research & Innovation programme)
Project Identification	Multi-actor project
Project type	Research project
Starting date	2018
End date	2021
Project status	ongoing
Website	UNISECO Project Website

Title (in English):

Objective of the project (native language):

See objectives in English.

Objective of the project (in English):

The ambition of UNISECO is to tackle the challenges of producing public and private goods using agro-ecological approaches. Using multi-actor platforms it aims to strengthen the sustainability of EU farming systems through co-constructing practice-validated management strategies and incentives for agro-ecological approaches. It will enhance the understanding of socio-economic and policy drivers and barriers for development and implementation of agro-ecological approaches. Its methodological toolkit will enable assessments of environmental, economic and social impacts of innovative strategies and incentives at farm and territorial levels.

Description of activities (native language):

See description of project activities in English.

Description of activities (in English):

Project objectives will be achieved by a transdisciplinary approach towards: a) setting up knowledge sharing platforms, b) analysing and understanding drivers and barriers for agroecological approaches through consultation and co-learning, c) empirical data collection in participatory case studies, co-learning and co-construction of innovative management strategies and incentives, d) territorial modelling and application of practice-relevant indicators for assessing sustainability of farming systems, e) developing a toolkit of methods enabling actors assess impacts of management strategies, market incentives and policy instruments promoting agro-ecological farming in Europe.

Project coordinator

Contact person:

Gerald Schwarz

Address:

Thünen Institut, Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany

E-mail:

gerald.schwarz@thuenen.de

Phone:

+495315965140

Partner category:

Researcher

Project partners

Contact person:

Gerald Schwarz

Address:

Thünen Institut, Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany

E-mail:

gerald.schwarz@thuenen.de

Phone:

+495315965140

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Andrea Povellato

Address:

CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA, Via Po 14 , 00198 Roma, Italy

E-mail:

andrea.povellato@crea.gov.it

Phone:

+390647856931

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

George Vlahos

Address:

AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, Iera Odos 75 , 11855 Athens, Greece

E-mail:

gvlahos@aua.gr

Phone:

+302105294711

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Karlheinz Erb

Address:

UNIVERSITÄT FÜR BODENKULTUR WIEN, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33 , 1180 Wien, Austria

E-mail:

karlheinz.erb@boku.ac.at

Phone:

+4314765473715

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

David Miller

Address:

THE JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTE, Errol Road Invergowrie , Dd2 5da Dundee, UK

E-mail:

David.Miller@hutton.ac.uk

Phone:

+441224395276

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Pete Smith

Address:

THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN, King'S College Regent Walk, Ab24 3fx Aberdeen, UK

E-mail:

pete.smith@abdn.ac.uk

Phone:

+441224272702

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Philippe Fleury

Address:

INSTITUT SUPERIEUR D'AGRICULTURE ET D’AGRO-ALIMENTAIRE, ISARA, 23 Rue Jean Baldassini , 69007 Lyon, France

E-mail:

pfleury@isara.fr

Phone:

+33427858558

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Kristina Veidemane

Address:

BALTIJAS VIDES FORUMS, Antonijas Iela 3-8 , Lv-1010 Riga, Latvia

E-mail:

kristina.veidemane@bef.lv

Phone:

+37167357551

Partner category:

Representative of an NGO

Contact person:

Zymantas Morkvenas

Address:

BALTIJOS APLINKOS FORUMAS VSI, Uzupio Str 9/2-17 , 01202 Vilnius, Lithuania

E-mail:

zymantas.morkvenas@bef.lt

Phone:

+37052559145

Partner category:

Representative of an NGO

Contact person:

Adrian Müller

Address:

FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR BIOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU STIFTUNG, Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland

E-mail:

adrian.mueller@fibl.org

Phone:

+41628657252

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Katalin Balazs

Address:

GEONARDO ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES LTD, Zahony U 7 , 1031 Budapest, Hungary

E-mail:

uniseco@geonardo.com

Phone:

+3612506703

Partner category:

SME

Contact person:

Janne Helin

Address:

LUONNONVARAKESKUS, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland

E-mail:

janne.helin@luke.fi

Phone:

+358295326119

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Elin Röös

Address:

SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET, Almas Alle 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden

E-mail:

elin.roos@slu.se

Phone:

+4618671866

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Carlos Astrain Massa

Address:

GESTION AMBIENTAL DE NAVARRA S.A, Calle Padre Adoain 219 Bajo , 31015 Pamplona, Spain

E-mail:

castraim@gan-nik.es

Phone:

+34650212181

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Alexandra Puscas

Address:

ASOCIATIA WWF PROGRAMUL DUNARE CARPATI ROMANIA, Bd. Tudor Vladimirescu 29 Sector 5 , 050881 Bucuresti, Romania

E-mail:

apuscas@wwf.ro

Phone:

+40262224035

Partner category:

Representative of an NGO

Contact person:

Jaroslav Prazan

Address:

USTAV ZEMEDELSKE EKONOMIKY A INFORMACI, Manesova 75 , 120 00 Praha 2, The Czech Republic

E-mail:

prazan.jaroslav@uzei.cz

Phone:

+420725848879

Partner category:

Researcher

Contact person:

Marie-Alice Budniok

Address:

EUROPEAN LANDOWNERS ORGANIZATION, Rue De Treves 67 , 1040 Bruxelles, Belgium

E-mail:

legal@elo.org

Phone:

+3222343000

Partner category:

Representative of an NGO

Contact person:

Andrea Hrabalova

Address:

BIOINSTITUT OPS, Ondrejova 489/13, Chvalkovice , 779 00 Olomouc, The Czech Republic

E-mail:

ahrabal@upcmail.cz

Phone:

+420737852515

Partner category:

SME

Practice summary

Practice abstract 1

Short title (native language):

UNISECO: Strengthening the sustainability of farming systems through agro-ecological approaches

Short summary for practitioners (native language):

UNISECO’s objective is to fill the knowledge gap in overcoming barriers for developing and implementing agro-ecological approaches and their contributions to strengthening the sustainability of farming systems in the EU. UNISECO will develop practice-validated management strategies and incentives for agro-ecological approaches and provide a toolkit to assess environmental, economic and social impacts of innovative strategies and incentives at farm and territorial levels.