Virtual Roadshow: Roots of Resilience – Enhancing Biodiversity through Agroecology

Roots of Resilience – Enhancing Biodiversity through Agroecology

Wednesday 9 July 10:00–12:00 CET

This Virtual Roadshow is in the past. View recording here 

General information about the virtual roadshow

This is the second in a series of four virtual roadshows, designed to take the findings of Agroecology-TRANSECT and disseminate broadly what they mean in practice.

This webinar will include opportunities for participants' discussion and interaction.

About the webinar

Roots of Resilience – Enhancing Biodiversity through Agroecology presents findings from partners and innovation hubs across Europe through presentations and visual storytelling, highlighting how biodiversity underpins resilient agroecological systems.

1. How has EU Agriculture Policy affected biodiversity so far? 
   And by implication, what does it need to do better?
   Elizabeth Finch, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
   
   
2. What does the research tell us about the impact of agroecological farming practices on biodiversity?
   Surfacing the interesting findings from over 170 studies looking at how adopting agroecology results in an increase in biodiversity and climate change mitigation, compared to conventional interventions.
   Cian Blaix, INRAE/Agroscope
   
   
3. The Multi Criteria Analysis tool (MCA) – particularly looking at how it can analyse Biodiversity Indicators.
   
   
4. Updates from Innovation Hubs:
   i. Results-based incentives for farmers in the Western Stara Planina in Bulgaria
   We hear from the Bulgarian innovation hub about their work developing and testing result-based agri-environment payment schemes (RBAPS), and how these have encouraged farmers to adopt agroecological practices that support biodiversity.
   ii. Exploring functional biodiversity: enhancing agronomic performance and ecological sustainability
   The innovation hub team in Switzerland shares insights into how multi-species seed mixtures for grasslands contribute to sustainable forage production. Their research highlights the role of functional biodiversity, i.e. how the different plant species complement each other ideally to align environmentally friendly and economically viable production of high-quality, home-grown forage.
   iii. Conservation biodiversity in perennial systems
   The Hungarian innovation hub updates us on their trials with different mixes of species-rich seeds (grass-herb and legume) to determine which provide the best overall climate-proof perennial cover crop in the vine inter-rows. Their particular focus is on the best solutions for weed control, soil conservation and biodiversity development.

Our speakers:

• Elizabeth Finch, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research 
• Cian Blaix, INRAE/Agroscope 
• Adrien Swartebroeckx, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre
• Leaders of our Innovation Hub projects in Bulgaria, Switzerland and Hungary.

Please register for free using this link

Watch our first Virtual Roadshow here