Project

EU24089 VALERECO

VALERECO will explore the benefits of Ecosystem Services (ES) from the incorporation of legume crops into cropping systems which can promote a range of ecosystem services that facilitate sustainable farming practices, support biodiversity, and contribute to mitigating climate change.

The project will promote the adoption and understanding of the value of legume crops towards transition to sustainable, productive, climate-neutral, environment-friendly and resilient farming systems. VALERECO will identify, valorize and disseminate the ES provided by legume crops.

There is a lack of recognition on the use of legumes in N-fixation, soil fertility, biodiversity and climate change mitigation. This gives concern that this leads to inadequate investment in legume-based cropping systems and missed opportunity to use them in sustainable agriculture. Farmers are not fully aware of the benefits of legumes or possess the necessary knowledge or resources to incorporate them into their cropping systems.

Figure 4: Ecosystem services provided by Legume crops. Pest control (Natural pest suppression through insect & microbe interactions. Increased resillience of cropping systems to pests and diseases. Reduced use of chemical pesticides.) Pollination (Increased genetic diversity of crops. Improved crop yields and quality. Enhanced pollinator diversity.) Carbon sequestration (Reduction of atmospheric CO2. Mitigation of climate change. Increased soil organic matter.) Water management (improved water quality & availability. Increased water-use efficiency in cropping systems. Reduced water runoff and erosion.) Soil Health (Improved soil structure and stability. Increased water holding capacity. Reduced soil erosion.) Biodiversity conservation (Increased plant, microbe & animal diversity. Preservation of native species. Provision of habitats for beneficial insects & other wildlife.) Economic benefits (Increased marketability and competitiveness. Diversification of income sources. Reduced input costs for farmers.) Nitrogen Fixation (Enhanced nitrogen supply. Improved plant growth and yield. Reduced dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.)
  • Proof of science
    • Create knowledge base on ecosystem
    • Behavioral changes in the value towards legumes
  • Validation of practice
    • On-station participatory trials
    • Economic, environmental & technical assessment of the ES
  • Traces of movement
    • Development of digital tools & upscale
    • Capacity Building & uptake

Main target group are farmers gaining more experience and knowledge on implementing legume crops in their rotation. There will be also policy recommendations at EU, national and regional level.

Publications