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Socio-ecological resilience (SeR) is an integral aspect in enhancing farm system sustainability and this integration is being widely adopted in recent years in development projects. Multiple indicators are used to assess socio ecological resilience of suggested solutions in farming systems or, to design projects with an aim to ultimately enhance SeR. However, the indicators or the suggested solutions remain largely technical; often overlooking the role that social solutions or power relations play in the long term in farming systems sustainability. There is growing evidence indeed that unequal power relations in agriculture are a threat to food security worldwide. Hence, there is a need to focus on equity when determining indicator or when developing solutions for sustainable food systems. We set up a long-term farming systems programme in 2007 in three tropical countries (India, Kenya and Bolivia) to compare organic and conventional management systems across multiple parameters. In all the countries we have been working with small-scale farmers on specific cropping systems (cotton, cacao and maize). The approaches of our programme have been interdisciplinary fo- cusing on all the way from fundamental agronomic questions to participatory farmer research. Over the years multiple studies and analysis have been conducted within our programme to understand the socio-ecological dimensions of sustainable farming practices in our study areas. We will present compiled learnings of these studies with a focus on two of our study regions, India and Bolivia. We will particularly summarise the role that factors such as farmer networks, farmer cooperatives, caste and identity, motivation and extension services play (a) in understanding farming systems and, (b) in adoption of suggested solutions. Using these results, we will discuss additional parameters that need to be considered when assessing social-ecological resilience of farming systems, with a particular focus on power rela

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Integrating agroecological practices into farming systems can improve farming systems’ resilience, but reported effects vary across geographies and production systems. Enhancing the resilience of farming systems by introducing new agroecological practices comes with positive and negative tradeoffs. Farmers’ decision to adopt new agroecological practices or additional agroecological practices is driven by factors such as other resource availability and/ or return on investment. In addition, farmer decisions are sometimes driven by motivational factors rather than return on investment. We hypothesise that farmers’ awareness about their ability to cope with climate change is correlated with the number of agroecological practices followed by farmers. To assess the farmers’ perception of their ability to cope with climate change and which agroecological practices they followed, we surveyed 3038 farmers in rural regions of Chad, India, Niger, and Tanzania. Survey questions were standardised in preliminary focused group discussions with farmers and other stakeholders. Individual interviews were conducted with the respondents chosen through systematic sampling, irrespective of their farming practices or other demographic factors. Correlations between agroecological practices, gender, and the farmers’ perspectives on climate change were investigated using the FactoMineR package in R. The share of female farmers’ participation in the survey was 50.0 %. Prevalent production systems in the regions are rainfed and organic by default. Thus, most farmers mentioned a change in rainfall patterns as the most challenging adverse climate change in past years, followed by more disease incidences, increased temperatures, and droughts. Crop rotation, Intercropping, mulching, and crop diversification are the leading agroecological practices for farmers in the regions. About 70 % of farmers in the regions perceive that they cannot cope with climate change. Farmers’ perception of their abili

Selecting qualitatively high cotton cultivars is a critical aspect of cotton breeding programs. However, choosing cultivars is not straightforward. Genotype × environment (G×E) interactions have to be considered when choosing varieties for cultivation. This holds especially true in organic farming where natural stress resistance is crucial in the absence of genetic modifications. For on-station trials, GGE biplots have become a popular tool for selecting cultivars. We applied the method to data from our on-station trials conducted at five sites in India and for 29 cotton cultivars. The sites included different farming conditions and the cultivars were a mix of hybrids and non-hybrids from the Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum species. Using the PPBstats package in R, we identified suitable varieties for each site. Cultivar performance varied greatly between sites. Varieties bred at a site performed particularly well, showing the importance of environment-specific breeding. On-farm trials are a participatory breeding approach that enables farmers to participate directly in the decision-making. However, estimating G×E effects is difficult due to the trial design. To analyse our on-farm trials conducted on 102 farms in India, testing 32 G. hirsutum and G. arboreum varieties, we applied a hierarchical Bayesian G×E model. The analysis was done using the PPBstats package in R. Farm clusters in which the tested cultivars performed similarly were identified. Well-performing varieties for each cluster were found through mean comparisons within each farm. Furthermore, a GGE biplot analysis was performed by pooling farms along agroclimatic zones to identify suitable cultivars on an agroclimatic level. The preliminary results from the GGE biplots have lower precision for the individual farmers that participated in the trials than the hierarchical Bayesian method but can be used for giving recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders for selecting cultivars based on

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Integrating agroecological practices into farming systems can improve farming systems’ resilience, but reported effects vary across geographies and production systems. Enhancing the resilience of farming systems by introducing new agroecological practices comes with positive and negative tradeoffs. Farmers’ decision to adopt new agroecological practices or additional agroecological practices is driven by factors such as other resource availability and/ or return on investment. In addition, farmer decisions are sometimes driven by motivational factors rather than return on investment. We hypothesise that farmers’ awareness about their ability to cope with climate change is correlated with the number of agroecological practices followed by farmers. To assess the farmers’ perception of their ability to cope with climate change and which agroecological practices they followed, we surveyed 3038 farmers in rural regions of Chad, India, Niger, and Tanzania. Survey questions were standardised in preliminary focused group discussions with farmers and other stakeholders. Individual interviews were conducted with the respondents chosen through systematic sampling, irrespective of their farming practices or other demographic factors. Correlations between agroecological practices, gender, and the farmers’ perspectives on climate change were investigated using the FactoMineR package in R. The share of female farmers’ participation in the survey was 50.0 %. Prevalent production systems in the regions are rainfed and organic by default. Thus, most farmers mentioned a change in rainfall patterns as the most challenging adverse climate change in past years, followed by more disease incidences, increased temperatures, and droughts. Crop rotation, Intercropping, mulching, and crop diversification are the leading agroecological practices for farmers in the regions. About 70 % of farmers in the regions perceive that they cannot cope with climate change. Farmers’ perception of their abili

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Socio-ecological resilience (SeR) is an integral aspect in enhancing farm system sustainability and this integration is being widely adopted in recent years in development projects. Multiple indicators are used to assess socio ecological resilience of suggested solutions in farming systems or, to design projects with an aim to ultimately enhance SeR. However, the indicators or the suggested solutions remain largely technical; often overlooking the role that social solutions or power relations play in the long term in farming systems sustainability. There is growing evidence indeed that unequal power relations in agriculture are a threat to food security worldwide. Hence, there is a need to focus on equity when determining indicator or when developing solutions for sustainable food systems. We set up a long-term farming systems programme in 2007 in three tropical countries (India, Kenya and Bolivia) to compare organic and conventional management systems across multiple parameters. In all the countries we have been working with small-scale farmers on specific cropping systems (cotton, cacao and maize). The approaches of our programme have been interdisciplinary fo- cusing on all the way from fundamental agronomic questions to participatory farmer research. Over the years multiple studies and analysis have been conducted within our programme to understand the socio-ecological dimensions of sustainable farming practices in our study areas. We will present compiled learnings of these studies with a focus on two of our study regions, India and Bolivia. We will particularly summarise the role that factors such as farmer networks, farmer cooperatives, caste and identity, motivation and extension services play (a) in understanding farming systems and, (b) in adoption of suggested solutions. Using these results, we will discuss additional parameters that need to be considered when assessing social-ecological resilience of farming systems, with a particular focus on power rela

Integrating agroecological practices into farming systems can improve farming systems’ resilience, but reported effects vary across geographies and production systems. Enhancing the resilience of farming systems by introducing new agroecological practices comes with positive and negative tradeoffs. Farmers’ decision to adopt new agroecological practices or additional agroecological practices is driven by factors such as other resource availability and/ or return on investment. In addition, farmer decisions are sometimes driven by motivational factors rather than return on investment. We hypothesise that farmers’ awareness about their ability to cope with climate change is correlated with the number of agroecological practices followed by farmers. To assess the farmers’ perception of their ability to cope with climate change and which agroecological practices they followed, we surveyed 3038 farmers in rural regions of Chad, India, Niger, and Tanzania. Survey questions were standardised in preliminary focused group discussions with farmers and other stakeholders. Individual interviews were conducted with the respondents chosen through systematic sampling, irrespective of their farming practices or other demographic factors. Correlations between agroecological practices, gender, and the farmers’ perspectives on climate change were investigated using the FactoMineR package in R. The share of female farmers’ participation in the survey was 50.0 %. Prevalent production systems in the regions are rainfed and organic by default. Thus, most farmers mentioned a change in rainfall patterns as the most challenging adverse climate change in past years, followed by more disease incidences, increased temperatures, and droughts. Crop rotation, Intercropping, mulching, and crop diversification are the leading agroecological practices for farmers in the regions. About 70 % of farmers in the regions perceive that they cannot cope with climate change. Farmers’ perception of their abili

Integrating agroecological practices into farming systems can improve farming systems’ resilience, but reported effects vary across geographies and production systems. Enhancing the resilience of farming systems by introducing new agroecological practices comes with positive and negative tradeoffs. Farmers’ decision to adopt new agroecological practices or additional agroecological practices is driven by factors such as other resource availability and/ or return on investment. In addition, farmer decisions are sometimes driven by motivational factors rather than return on investment. We hypothesise that farmers’ awareness about their ability to cope with climate change is correlated with the number of agroecological practices followed by farmers. To assess the farmers’ perception of their ability to cope with climate change and which agroecological practices they followed, we surveyed 3038 farmers in rural regions of Chad, India, Niger, and Tanzania. Survey questions were standardised in preliminary focused group discussions with farmers and other stakeholders. Individual interviews were conducted with the respondents chosen through systematic sampling, irrespective of their farming practices or other demographic factors. Correlations between agroecological practices, gender, and the farmers’ perspectives on climate change were investigated using the FactoMineR package in R. The share of female farmers’ participation in the survey was 50.0 %. Prevalent production systems in the regions are rainfed and organic by default. Thus, most farmers mentioned a change in rainfall patterns as the most challenging adverse climate change in past years, followed by more disease incidences, increased temperatures, and droughts. Crop rotation, Intercropping, mulching, and crop diversification are the leading agroecological practices for farmers in the regions. About 70 % of farmers in the regions perceive that they cannot cope with climate change. Farmers’ perception of their abili

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Selecting qualitatively high cotton cultivars is a critical aspect of cotton breeding programs. However, choosing cultivars is not straightforward. Genotype × environment (G×E) interactions have to be considered when choosing varieties for cultivation. This holds especially true in organic farming where natural stress resistance is crucial in the absence of genetic modifications. For on-station trials, GGE biplots have become a popular tool for selecting cultivars. We applied the method to data from our on-station trials conducted at five sites in India and for 29 cotton cultivars. The sites included different farming conditions and the cultivars were a mix of hybrids and non-hybrids from the Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum species. Using the PPBstats package in R, we identified suitable varieties for each site. Cultivar performance varied greatly between sites. Varieties bred at a site performed particularly well, showing the importance of environment-specific breeding. On-farm trials are a participatory breeding approach that enables farmers to participate directly in the decision-making. However, estimating G×E effects is difficult due to the trial design. To analyse our on-farm trials conducted on 102 farms in India, testing 32 G. hirsutum and G. arboreum varieties, we applied a hierarchical Bayesian G×E model. The analysis was done using the PPBstats package in R. Farm clusters in which the tested cultivars performed similarly were identified. Well-performing varieties for each cluster were found through mean comparisons within each farm. Furthermore, a GGE biplot analysis was performed by pooling farms along agroclimatic zones to identify suitable cultivars on an agroclimatic level. The preliminary results from the GGE biplots have lower precision for the individual farmers that participated in the trials than the hierarchical Bayesian method but can be used for giving recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders for selecting cultivars based on

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Selecting qualitatively high cotton cultivars is a critical aspect of cotton breeding programs. However, choosing cultivars is not straightforward. Genotype × environment (G×E) interactions have to be considered when choosing varieties for cultivation. This holds especially true in organic farming where natural stress resistance is crucial in the absence of genetic modifications. For on-station trials, GGE biplots have become a popular tool for selecting cultivars. We applied the method to data from our on-station trials conducted at five sites in India and for 29 cotton cultivars. The sites included different farming conditions and the cultivars were a mix of hybrids and non-hybrids from the Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum species. Using the PPBstats package in R, we identified suitable varieties for each site. Cultivar performance varied greatly between sites. Varieties bred at a site performed particularly well, showing the importance of environment-specific breeding. On-farm trials are a participatory breeding approach that enables farmers to participate directly in the decision-making. However, estimating G×E effects is difficult due to the trial design. To analyse our on-farm trials conducted on 102 farms in India, testing 32 G. hirsutum and G. arboreum varieties, we applied a hierarchical Bayesian G×E model. The analysis was done using the PPBstats package in R. Farm clusters in which the tested cultivars performed similarly were identified. Well-performing varieties for each cluster were found through mean comparisons within each farm. Furthermore, a GGE biplot analysis was performed by pooling farms along agroclimatic zones to identify suitable cultivars on an agroclimatic level. The preliminary results from the GGE biplots have lower precision for the individual farmers that participated in the trials than the hierarchical Bayesian method but can be used for giving recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders for selecting cultivars based on

Selecting qualitatively high cotton cultivars is a critical aspect of cotton breeding programs. However, choosing cultivars is not straightforward. Genotype × environment (G×E) interactions have to be considered when choosing varieties for cultivation. This holds especially true in organic farming where natural stress resistance is crucial in the absence of genetic modifications. For on-station trials, GGE biplots have become a popular tool for selecting cultivars. We applied the method to data from our on-station trials conducted at five sites in India and for 29 cotton cultivars. The sites included different farming conditions and the cultivars were a mix of hybrids and non-hybrids from the Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum species. Using the PPBstats package in R, we identified suitable varieties for each site. Cultivar performance varied greatly between sites. Varieties bred at a site performed particularly well, showing the importance of environment-specific breeding. On-farm trials are a participatory breeding approach that enables farmers to participate directly in the decision-making. However, estimating G×E effects is difficult due to the trial design. To analyse our on-farm trials conducted on 102 farms in India, testing 32 G. hirsutum and G. arboreum varieties, we applied a hierarchical Bayesian G×E model. The analysis was done using the PPBstats package in R. Farm clusters in which the tested cultivars performed similarly were identified. Well-performing varieties for each cluster were found through mean comparisons within each farm. Furthermore, a GGE biplot analysis was performed by pooling farms along agroclimatic zones to identify suitable cultivars on an agroclimatic level. The preliminary results from the GGE biplots have lower precision for the individual farmers that participated in the trials than the hierarchical Bayesian method but can be used for giving recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders for selecting cultivars based on

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Cotton plants are a primary sources of worlds’ industrial textile and it is estimated that globally approx. 2.78 % of arable land is under cotton plant cultivation. Conventional cultivation of cotton is a highly input-intensive process, requiring large quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water resources. Growing cotton organically can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts of cotton. However, yield of organic cotton is often recorded to be lower than the yield of conventional cotton. There is a need to develop system-based approaches that increase productivity of the cotton systems. Our study is based on a long-term trial that has been comparing organic and conventional cotton systems since the year 2007, in central India. In our study region cotton is grown in a two-year crop rotation with wheat and soybean. For better adaption of organic cotton production, it is crucial to increase overall economic returns from all crops involved in the cotton rotation system. In the initial phases of our study we recorded a yield gap of up to 25 % between organic and conventional cotton production. To mitigate this yield gap, we adopted multiple best practice approaches using agroecological principles. Our recent results show that such approaches can not only reduce the yield gap but also increase soil organic carbon in the organic cotton systems; resulting in systems that are potentially more resilient to climatic changes. We will discuss our results and highlight the need to invest in agroecological and socio-economic research to eliminate yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture and to identify barriers to adoption of sustainable techniques.

Cotton plants are a primary sources of worlds’ industrial textile and it is estimated that globally approx. 2.78 % of arable land is under cotton plant cultivation. Conventional cultivation of cotton is a highly input-intensive process, requiring large quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water resources. Growing cotton organically can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts of cotton. However, yield of organic cotton is often recorded to be lower than the yield of conventional cotton. There is a need to develop system-based approaches that increase productivity of the cotton systems. Our study is based on a long-term trial that has been comparing organic and conventional cotton systems since the year 2007, in central India. In our study region cotton is grown in a two-year crop rotation with wheat and soybean. For better adaption of organic cotton production, it is crucial to increase overall economic returns from all crops involved in the cotton rotation system. In the initial phases of our study we recorded a yield gap of up to 25 % between organic and conventional cotton production. To mitigate this yield gap, we adopted multiple best practice approaches using agroecological principles. Our recent results show that such approaches can not only reduce the yield gap but also increase soil organic carbon in the organic cotton systems; resulting in systems that are potentially more resilient to climatic changes. We will discuss our results and highlight the need to invest in agroecological and socio-economic research to eliminate yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture and to identify barriers to adoption of sustainable techniques.

Cotton plants are a primary sources of worlds’ industrial textile and it is estimated that globally approx. 2.78 % of arable land is under cotton plant cultivation. Conventional cultivation of cotton is a highly input-intensive process, requiring large quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water resources. Growing cotton organically can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts of cotton. However, yield of organic cotton is often recorded to be lower than the yield of conventional cotton. There is a need to develop system-based approaches that increase productivity of the cotton systems. Our study is based on a long-term trial that has been comparing organic and conventional cotton systems since the year 2007, in central India. In our study region cotton is grown in a two-year crop rotation with wheat and soybean. For better adaption of organic cotton production, it is crucial to increase overall economic returns from all crops involved in the cotton rotation system. In the initial phases of our study we recorded a yield gap of up to 25 % between organic and conventional cotton production. To mitigate this yield gap, we adopted multiple best practice approaches using agroecological principles. Our recent results show that such approaches can not only reduce the yield gap but also increase soil organic carbon in the organic cotton systems; resulting in systems that are potentially more resilient to climatic changes. We will discuss our results and highlight the need to invest in agroecological and socio-economic research to eliminate yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture and to identify barriers to adoption of sustainable techniques.

Cotton plants are a primary sources of worlds’ industrial textile and it is estimated that globally approx. 2.78 % of arable land is under cotton plant cultivation. Conventional cultivation of cotton is a highly input-intensive process, requiring large quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water resources. Growing cotton organically can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts of cotton. However, yield of organic cotton is often recorded to be lower than the yield of conventional cotton. There is a need to develop system-based approaches that increase productivity of the cotton systems. Our study is based on a long-term trial that has been comparing organic and conventional cotton systems since the year 2007, in central India. In our study region cotton is grown in a two-year crop rotation with wheat and soybean. For better adaption of organic cotton production, it is crucial to increase overall economic returns from all crops involved in the cotton rotation system. In the initial phases of our study we recorded a yield gap of up to 25 % between organic and conventional cotton production. To mitigate this yield gap, we adopted multiple best practice approaches using agroecological principles. Our recent results show that such approaches can not only reduce the yield gap but also increase soil organic carbon in the organic cotton systems; resulting in systems that are potentially more resilient to climatic changes. We will discuss our results and highlight the need to invest in agroecological and socio-economic research to eliminate yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture and to identify barriers to adoption of sustainable techniques.

Cotton plants are a primary sources of worlds’ industrial textile and it is estimated that globally approx. 2.78 % of arable land is under cotton plant cultivation. Conventional cultivation of cotton is a highly input-intensive process, requiring large quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water resources. Growing cotton organically can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts of cotton. However, yield of organic cotton is often recorded to be lower than the yield of conventional cotton. There is a need to develop system-based approaches that increase productivity of the cotton systems. Our study is based on a long-term trial that has been comparing organic and conventional cotton systems since the year 2007, in central India. In our study region cotton is grown in a two-year crop rotation with wheat and soybean. For better adaption of organic cotton production, it is crucial to increase overall economic returns from all crops involved in the cotton rotation system. In the initial phases of our study we recorded a yield gap of up to 25 % between organic and conventional cotton production. To mitigate this yield gap, we adopted multiple best practice approaches using agroecological principles. Our recent results show that such approaches can not only reduce the yield gap but also increase soil organic carbon in the organic cotton systems; resulting in systems that are potentially more resilient to climatic changes. We will discuss our results and highlight the need to invest in agroecological and socio-economic research to eliminate yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture and to identify barriers to adoption of sustainable techniques.