Unlocking multifunctional agroecosystems: innovations for sustainable agriculture

This project works on multifunctional landscapes by simultaneously promoting agricultural productivity and environmental restoration. We will use satellite information, modelling and communication strategies for a sustainable transition

Context of the story

In Uruguay and Argentina, agriculture is a major source of production and profits, mainly from grain exports. However, this expansion, driven by technological advances and climate change, has negatively impacted natural habitats. In this project, we aim to show that preserving the environment and diversifying the agricultural landscape can help restore and maintain essential conditions for crops, benefiting their yield and stability. Our goal is to advance strategies such as the use of satellite data, statistical tools, and machine learning; virtual landscape modeling; implementation and monitoring of biodiversity-based solutions; and effective communication practices to engage beneficiaries.

A pathway to sustainable production models through biodiversity integration and conservation

The implemented initiative

In recent decades, the Pampas biome has experienced significant changes in land use, leading to the displacement of natural environments and emphasizing the need for biodiversity conservation. This project focuses on Uruguay and Argentina, both of which have similar production systems and face common rural and socio-cultural challenges. Our goal is to convert uniform systems into multifunctional landscapes that yield long-term benefits. With the support of FONTAGRO, we aim to establish a multidisciplinary platform involving experts from Argentina (UNRN) and Uruguay (SARAS, CEUTA) to analyze and apply knowledge to the production systems of the Pampas biome. We will collaborate with producer groups, national research institutions, and family production promoters.

Innovative strategies and tools in Uruguay and Argentina

The technological solution

The project will strengthen the capacity to harness big data and improve the governance system through participatory mechanisms for the generation of public policies and private agreements. Sustainable transition issues will be addressed through strategies such as the circulation of existing environmental and socio-economic information and its agile analysis. Collaboration between academia and the productive sector will help identify the main needs of producers and broaden the scope of transitions. Edge effects will be studied through precision agriculture, models for the design of multifunctional landscapes will be developed, and aspects studied in the field will be implemented and evaluated. Beneficiaries will include the public and private sector, educational institutions and civil associations of producers. The project is expected to have positive economic, environmental and social impacts, contributing to national development and improving production, added value of products and producers' incomes.

Multifunctional landscapes seek to complement or replace external inputs with ecological processes, thereby generating higher economic returns and increasing key environmental services

Project team

Participating countries

Type of project

Agronomic Practices

Results

Expected outcomes include progress on a working methodology for modelling multiple natural contributions in production systems with different edge configurations (Component 1), identification and description of the most relevant variables for yield and pest frequency and intensity and development of spatially explicit predictive models (Component 2), evaluation of 3 elements of agricultural redesign in production facilities and redesign of 4 facilities (Component 3), review of the state of the art and analysis of the interactions between multifunctional landscape design, scientific, technical and production trends and policies (Component 4). In addition, the creation of a stakeholder map and the co-production and dissemination of key messages to the set of public-private stakeholders involved, including a tool launch event (Component 4).