The work programme
The primary source of knowledge is the 15 actor groups, each being a combination of research/technical-based and practice-based actors that exchange, synthesis and communicate knowledge. Networks of actor groups called transition networks allow exchange and synthesis at the sector-level, enhancing geographic coverage.
The project is administered through Work Package 1, and the scientific and actor group coordination is provided by Work Packages 2. Actor group involvement is achieved as much as possible through linking the central project work to the actor groups in transition networks.
Research and practice-based knowledge is brough together in transition networks that collate and validate knowledge. Researchers will interact with actor groups with the transition networks in relation to three development levels (farm, value-chain, and societal).
Work Package 5 will verify and bring knowledge together to support improved environmental performance and resource use efficiency. The focus will be on supporting and regulating ecosystem services (ESS, e.g. biological nitrogen fixation and related protein production effects; break crop effects, and effects on biodiversity[1]) that characterise legume crops. Simple cropping system assessment tools [2][3] will be used to validate the knowledge on the larger number of cropping and farming systems offered by the Actor Groups. Based on the content input from Work Packages 3, 4 and 5, Work Package 6 focuses on the generation of the knowledge outputs: Practice Abstracts, Development Guides, videos, and all general communication matters and support to the consortium to maximise impact.
[1] Billeter et al. (2008). Indicators for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: a pan-European study. Journal of Applied Ecology (2008) 45, 141–150.
[2]Reckling et al. (2016). A cropping system assessment framework—Evaluating effects of introducing legumes into crop rotations. European Journal of Agronomy 76, 186-197.
[3]Stein-Bachinger et al. (2015) Ecological recycling agriculture to enhance agro-ecosystem services in the Baltic Sea region: guidelines for implementation. Land 4, 737-753.