Agroecological Living Labs for agro-biodiversity and resilience
The ALL-Organic project innovated an Agroecological Living Lab (ALL) approach designed to contribute towards diversification of agri-food systems for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This is in response to issues within the current agri-food systems in Europe which are mostly highly specialised and oriented toward intensive production, even in the context of organic production.
Within the ALL approach, multistakeholder actors within a certain region are involved from the beginning of the process, from initially discussing the issue within their own systems, to collaboratively ideating potential solutions and pathways forward. This process entails cross-disciplinary collaboration between scientists, stakeholders, and actors in co-innovation and co-research. The underlying motivation of the ALL is to achieve a lasting and more effective impact, wherein ownership and responsibilities lie with a mix of stakeholders local to the region in question.
The dimensions of diversification addressed within ALLs include the following areas:
- The practices of diversification: including temporal (e.g., longer duration crop rotations) and spatial (e.g., inter-, strip cropping, and agroforestry) diversification of farming systems.
- Genetic diversification: including both between- and within-crop genetic diversity.
- The diversity of agricultural practices (e.g., on-farm input production to support shorter production chains, and the development of diverse techniques and practices which are suitable to specific contexts).
The format of collaboration within the ALL approach involves varying forms often used in combination, such as, practical workshops, field visits, interviews, discussions and events. Through these modes of collaboration, ALLs can fulfil functions as a kind of ‘knowledge hub’ wherein knowledge is shared in a horizontal, and circular manner among stakeholders and actors.
The ALL-Organic research project ended at the end of 2024. The deliverables and lessons learned through the project may hold useful insights for the Organic food and farming system in Ireland.
Find out more about this innovation by contacting Claire at claire@erinn.eu.
