The LET leads the new international research project PRIMA called Mediterranean Agroecosystems for Sustainability and Resilience under Climate Change (MA4SURE)

The overall objective of the MA4SURE project is to characterize systems with agroforestry practices and mixed farming which are sustainable, profitable, resilient and adaptive to climate change. Apart from LET, research centres and companies from Egypt, Slovenia, Spain, France and Italy are participating. Drought and heat are major abiotic stresses that reduce crop productivity and jeopardize food security in the Mediterranean in the context of the growing impacts of Climate Change. Agroforestry (AF) practices contribute to enhance resilience through biodiversity conservation and livelihood diversity, by also bringing economic benefits. Mixed Farming (MF) can reduce chemical inputs and provide more ecosystem services. The AF/MF systems combined increase the complexity of agroecosystems, which requires innovative management concepts.

AF/MF systems are more resilient than most of the prevailing modes of agricultural production. By combining woody perennials with forage and food crops, arid and semiarid areas can produce food for human consumption, forage for livestock, and contribute to the energy needs of households. Therefore, AF/MF technologies are important to control desertification and improve the dryland production systems, and are an important tool for mitigating Climate Change.

Our trans-disciplinary, multi-actor approach includes the early involvement as partners of the project of stakeholders and end-users in developing the concept of the project, methods and framework. We combine the AF/MF conceptual framework of FAO with socioeconomic evaluation. The multisectoral partnerships planned permit to address the biophysical evaluation of the multispecies cropping system, the service and benefits provided to the society and the final economic evaluation of these systems.

Visit the MA4SURE web