Projects / Programmes
Establishment of a reference agricultural holdings system for the purpose of permanent monitoring of indicators of sustainable agriculture
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.04 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Sustainable agriculture |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B006 |
Biomedical sciences |
Agronomics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
reference agricultural holdings, sustainability indicators, environment protection, biodiversity, greenhousegas emmisions, farm management economics
Researchers (32)
Organisations (4)
Abstract
The proposed project involves the creation of a system of reference agricultural holdings for the purpose of permanent monitoring of sustainable agriculture indicators in Slovenia. The strategy of Slovenian agriculture focuses on ensuring competitive agricultural production, but it also concerns the environment and human health. The expected results of the proposed project directly dovetail with these objectives, as they will improve the efficiency of policymaking and directly affect agricultural production in line with the desired goals.
The project will draw upon experience gained abroad as well as on existing efficient models that identify and monitor a range of technological, economic, environmental, and social indicators related to agricultural production. We will attempt to use the most successful and suitable models and tailor them to the conditions in Slovenia. The selected reference agricultural holdings will cover the three most important segments of agricultural production in Slovenia: crop production and horticulture, animal husbandry, and permanent crops. Within these three segments of production, we will propose a network of reference agricultural holdings complete with a set of indicators, the scope of which will depend on the funding earmarked for the system by the competent government bodies in the future. The plan is to monitor indicators from the following areas: the economics of agricultural production, the socioeconomic aspects of sustainable production, production technologies, agricultural holding facilities, use of pesticides / and the plant protection (NAP), fertilisation and plant nutrition, environmental indicators, greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions, and biodiversity.
The project comprises six work packages (WPs). In WP1 – Overview of existing models of reference agricultural holdings – we will review efficient approaches to the creation and development of different kinds of networks of reference agricultural holdings (by segment, type of production, whether they are a demonstration or pilot farm, etc.) for the purpose of monitoring environmental, economic, and social indicators in the EU and beyond. We will attempt to obtain as much data as possible on indicators as well as other relevant factors affecting the organisation and implementation of such systems. Suitable indicators for assessing the sustainability of agriculture will be selected and defined in WP2 – Selection of indicators for the assessment of sustainable agriculture. The task will be very complex because the indicators must encompass and present changes in the mutually connected systems of all three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, social). Each selected indicator must fulfil certain criteria that show changes in the system, and they must be selected bearing in mind that they must be transposable to the aggregate level (regional or state level). The creation of the system will be in the focus of WP3 – Establishment and operation of a system of reference agricultural holdings. We will formulate a detailed plan for the technical execution of the collection, transfer, processing, and storage of data, data accessibility, the preparation of data for various purposes and users, data protection, and other technical, computational, and organisational details. WP4 – Defining a pattern and spatial network of reference agricultural holdings – entails the creation of a list of potential agricultural holdings that are representative and suitable for inclusion in the system for monitoring agricultural production. The agricultural holdings to be included in the network will be selected with due consideration of relevant factors, such as soil, orographic, macroclimate, and microclimate conditions. The natural features will be identified and suitably weighted with regard to the specifics of agricultural production guidelines, area specifics, and protection arrangements. The result of this work package will be a spatial pr
Significance for science
The results of the project will directly contribute to the development of both the profession and science, but the indirect contribution of establishing and operating the proposed network of reference agricultural holdings will be even more significant in that it will create a data infrastructure that can be used in a variety of ways. Management of natural resources and ensuring food security at the national level is a very complex multidisciplinary process that involves a large number of stakeholders. This process must also pursue the broader goals of EU policies (environmental, agricultural, social, market-related, and other policies). The scientific methods in this field are increasingly becoming part of management processes; if these processes are inefficient, significant damage may result at the national level (the irreversible deterioration or destruction of natural resources or insufficient or inappropriate exploitation of natural resources, imbalanced regional development and the depopulation of rural areas, the erosion of food security and food safety, etc.). By analysing and expanding on proven foreign approaches to harvesting data on the state of agricultural production for the purpose of management at the national level, and by analysing the situation in Slovenia, we will develop new models and tools; these will also be presented in scientific literature as the Slovenian model of reference agricultural holdings.
The project is significant for the development of the agri-food, agro-economic, socioeconomic, environmental, and biological sciences in Slovenia. Experience gained abroad will be leveraged to identify and select sustainability indicators suitable for analysing the situation in Slovenia and for benchmarking with other countries. The indicators will be used for the creation of a network of reference agricultural holdings covering the bulk of agricultural production. The network will produce a data infrastructure that will indirectly contribute to the development of science and expert know-how as the data can be used for a variety of studies and research projects. The project is designed holistically and will facilitate integration on a scientific basis, and the adaptation and coordination of heretofore typically siloed findings and results. It will provide individual areas of specialisation (e.g. economics, pedology, veterinary science, climatology, environment protection, biology, social sciences) and agricultural branches (crop production, horticulture, viticulture and animal husbandry) new and often holistically-based findings since it will be conducted across a range of representative climatic and edaphic conditions in Slovenia.
Significance for the country
The project is very important for both the economy and broader society. The results of the permanent study (the monitoring system created) will be directly and indirectly transferable into practice in the form of agricultural policy measures, demonstration and innovative agricultural holdings, and in the form of pilot production systems envisaged as supplementing the system of reference agricultural holdings in the future. By means of the harvested data, farmers who participate in the system will be able to make more informed decisions, which will improve the technological, environmental, and economic performance of their agricultural holdings.
Implementation of the proposed system would constitute an upgrade of the existing tools for the monitoring of the sustainability of agriculture at the level of agricultural holdings. An updated set of indicators and a defined sample of reference agricultural holdings will facilitate and accelerate the design of more targeted agricultural policy measures using real data. The results, which are to be supplemented on an ongoing basis, will be suitable for periodic public presentations to various target audiences in the agricultural sector and beyond.
Another significant dimension of the project is the establishment of interdepartmental cooperation: its implementation will contribute towards improved integration of the agronomic, environmental, economic, and social sciences, which will substantially improve the broader social perception of Slovenian agriculture.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2019,
2020
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2019,
2020
