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A framework towards resilient Mediterranean eco-solutions for small-scale farming systems

Authors :
Emilia Lamonaca
Amel Bouzid
Mariangela Caroprese
Maria Giovanna Ciliberti
Claudia M.d. S. Cordovil
Maria-Anastasia Karatzia
Mahmut Keskin
Messaoud Lazereg
Christina Lidga
Umberto Panniello
Anastasios Saratsis
Marco Tappi
Irene Valasi
SezenOcak Yetişgin
Fabio Gaetano Santeramo
Source :
Agriculture & Food Security, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
BMC, 2023.

Abstract

Abstract Background The impacts of climate change on crop and livestock sectors are well-documented. Climate change and its related events (e.g., high temperatures, extreme events, disease outbreaks) affect livestock production in various ways (e.g., nutrition, housing, health, welfare), and tend to compromise the physical productivity and the economic performances. Understanding animal responses to climate change may help planning strategies to cope with the adverse climatic conditions and also to reduce polluting emissions. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we develop a conceptual framework to assess and develop new organisational models for Mediterranean small-scale farming systems so as to mitigate the impacts of climate change, to improve farm management and farming technologies, and to achieve an effective adaptation to the climate changes. The conceptual framework consists of four phases: (i) community engagement, (ii) strategies development, (iii) data collection and analysis, (iv) business model generation and sustainability assessment. We assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the eco-solutions by mean of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis technique. Results The proposed eco-solutions are expected to increase the sustainability of agriculture and food production systems by introducing new and efficient uses of natural resources. The proposed models are expected to have an impact not only on the environment (in terms of mitigation), but also on the economic and social performances, as they are expected to foster the responses of small-scale farms to the increasingly frequent effects of climate change (adaptation solutions). Among the positive impacts, we emphasise the importance of more stable revenues, a tendency that would help farmers to raise their revenues. Last but not least, we found that the proposed models are likely to increase the social resilience of the farming systems to the challenges imposed by the climate change. Conclusions The eco-solutions can support stakeholders involved in Mediterranean small-scale farming systems by suggesting novel land, crop, and livestock management approaches to optimise revenue flows, business models and climate change mitigation strategies thanks to the adoption of a systemic approach, that is not only focused on specific components of the system but instead based on the linkages between environmental, social, and economic aspects.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20487010
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Agriculture & Food Security
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fc5a4e4cb60436eb0afd69c7ecc6b22
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-022-00399-w