Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SUPER-G (Developing SUstainable PERmanent Grassland systems and policies)
Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-11-30
SUPER-G applies a multi-actor approach, working with farmers; land owners/managers and their advisers; third sector and civil society groups; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and researchers, policy and business communities to achieve: 1) better understanding of the importance and functioning of permanent grasslands (PG) within five European biogeographic regions; 2) benchmarking of PG performance across Europe; 3) co-development of integrated approaches for sustainable PG management; and 4) co-development of tools and policy mechanisms to support the maintenance and sustainable management of PG. The project will last five years to allow time for the establishment of farm networks for data gathering and analysis; and the development of good grassland practices, innovative techniques and farm-level and policy support tools.
The project focuses on the following ecosystem services (ES; based on the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services; CICES, V4.3 2013):
• Food production (meat, dairy products, honey), wool and biomass (wood, cork, bioenergy, fibre, bedding material)
• Biodiversity (incl. maintenance of ecosystem functions; and provision of ES from species to landscapes)
• Climate regulation (through carbon sequestration and regulation of greenhouse gas emissions)
• Water quality (for drinking and non-drinking purposes; and to maintain favourable living conditions for terrestrial and aquatic biota)
• Mediation of water flows (for supply and discharge; and flood protection/mitigation)
• Erosion control (vegetation cover to protect/stabilise terrestrial ecosystems)
• Landscape and recreation
The project focuses on the following ecosystem services (ES; based on the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services; CICES, V4.3 2013):
• Food production (meat, dairy products, honey), wool and biomass (wood, cork, bioenergy, fibre, bedding material)
• Biodiversity (incl. maintenance of ecosystem functions; and provision of ES from species to landscapes)
• Climate regulation (through carbon sequestration and regulation of greenhouse gas emissions)
• Water quality (for drinking and non-drinking purposes; and to maintain favourable living conditions for terrestrial and aquatic biota)
• Mediation of water flows (for supply and discharge; and flood protection/mitigation)
• Erosion control (vegetation cover to protect/stabilise terrestrial ecosystems)
• Landscape and recreation
The project is co-ordinated and managed in WP1 to ensure multi-actor functioning and a transdisciplinary approach. In the third reporting period (RP3) there have been two GA (project) meetings; the first held virtually in September 2021 and the second held as a hybrid event in Bled, Slovenia in June 2022. Both meetings also involved input from the EAP. The Executive Board (EB) has also met in person or remotely on seventeen occasions during RP3.
WP2 (Delivering sustainable systems) aims to identify the important functions that PG provides and define what needs to be done to ensure optimal delivery of ES. This began with the development of a European grassland typology and a conceptual model of farming systems. The development of a PG type Atlas has been delayed due to staffing issues throughout the reporting period. These issues are now being addressed with key sub-tasks allocated to project partners involved in task (T) 2.1. Following the integrated systematic review in RP2, subsequent research during RP3 has focused on the individual ES listed above. Work has started on fact sheets describing management approaches and emerging technologies for improving the ES function of PG.
WP3 (Benchmarking and testing) is largely based on data gathering from a network of farms and experimental platforms spread over six biogeographic regions. During RP3, a set of co-innovation workshops were held in 23 farm networks to discuss the results from trials, experiments and demos. The trials and experiments continued in RP3 and focused on the synergies and trade-offs between productivity, biodiversity and delivery of other ES. Preparations have also been made for a second round of benchmarking activity within farm networks through a PG management questionnaire survey. Modelling and simulation of management practices has also started.
WP4 (Securing performance) investigates the socio-economic factors that influence PG management. In RP3, we have analysed and written up the research on citizen focus groups, and completed survey research for farmers (4.2) and citizens (4.3). We have finalised and piloted the methodology for Task 4.4 (Developing policy options for ES in relation to PG). We are planning a series of policy briefs to be tailored to the needs of authorities at national and European policy levels.
WP5 (Aiding decision-making) aims to develop decision-support tools (DSTs) for farm-level and policy support. In RP3, we have been co-developing a farm-level tool and a policy tool with farmers and policy makers respectively. The farm tool will help farmers and advisers use selected metrics to ‘measure to manage’ productivity, profitability and the delivery of other ES. The policy tool will demonstrate how changes in land use, grazing livestock stocking rates and farm management practices alter meat and milk production and the delivery of ES in each region across Europe.
In WP6 (Communication & Dissemination), we have disseminated updates and gained feedback on the development of innovative practices, technologies and DSTs. A stakeholder webinar series was held in June 2021, involving project partners, Susana Gaona Sáez of the European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Research & Innovation Unit and other invited speakers. The second Stakeholder Seminar, which was originally scheduled to be held in Goniadz, Poland in April 2020, was postponed twice due to the covid-19 pandemic, and following the outbreak of war in Ukraine was finally held as an international webinar in April 2022. The third round of EIP-AGRI abstracts has been produced and the project website used to host videos, management instructions and topic-specific factsheets/success stories. Project outputs have been publicised at various conferences and workshops in partnership with key stakeholders. ‘Summer’ schools have been held in Cordoba, Spain (UCO) and Ultuna, Sweden (SLU).
WP7 (Ethics requirements) ensures the rigorous application of ethical and data privacy standards, and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR - Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and national equivalent legislation where relevant. Procedures for data collection, storage, protection, retention, and destruction; and to identify and recruit research participants have been implemented. All the data protection, consent procedure and scientific research requirements detailed in the Ethics Summary Report (provided by the European Commission) will continue to be addressed within this WP.
WP2 (Delivering sustainable systems) aims to identify the important functions that PG provides and define what needs to be done to ensure optimal delivery of ES. This began with the development of a European grassland typology and a conceptual model of farming systems. The development of a PG type Atlas has been delayed due to staffing issues throughout the reporting period. These issues are now being addressed with key sub-tasks allocated to project partners involved in task (T) 2.1. Following the integrated systematic review in RP2, subsequent research during RP3 has focused on the individual ES listed above. Work has started on fact sheets describing management approaches and emerging technologies for improving the ES function of PG.
WP3 (Benchmarking and testing) is largely based on data gathering from a network of farms and experimental platforms spread over six biogeographic regions. During RP3, a set of co-innovation workshops were held in 23 farm networks to discuss the results from trials, experiments and demos. The trials and experiments continued in RP3 and focused on the synergies and trade-offs between productivity, biodiversity and delivery of other ES. Preparations have also been made for a second round of benchmarking activity within farm networks through a PG management questionnaire survey. Modelling and simulation of management practices has also started.
WP4 (Securing performance) investigates the socio-economic factors that influence PG management. In RP3, we have analysed and written up the research on citizen focus groups, and completed survey research for farmers (4.2) and citizens (4.3). We have finalised and piloted the methodology for Task 4.4 (Developing policy options for ES in relation to PG). We are planning a series of policy briefs to be tailored to the needs of authorities at national and European policy levels.
WP5 (Aiding decision-making) aims to develop decision-support tools (DSTs) for farm-level and policy support. In RP3, we have been co-developing a farm-level tool and a policy tool with farmers and policy makers respectively. The farm tool will help farmers and advisers use selected metrics to ‘measure to manage’ productivity, profitability and the delivery of other ES. The policy tool will demonstrate how changes in land use, grazing livestock stocking rates and farm management practices alter meat and milk production and the delivery of ES in each region across Europe.
In WP6 (Communication & Dissemination), we have disseminated updates and gained feedback on the development of innovative practices, technologies and DSTs. A stakeholder webinar series was held in June 2021, involving project partners, Susana Gaona Sáez of the European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Research & Innovation Unit and other invited speakers. The second Stakeholder Seminar, which was originally scheduled to be held in Goniadz, Poland in April 2020, was postponed twice due to the covid-19 pandemic, and following the outbreak of war in Ukraine was finally held as an international webinar in April 2022. The third round of EIP-AGRI abstracts has been produced and the project website used to host videos, management instructions and topic-specific factsheets/success stories. Project outputs have been publicised at various conferences and workshops in partnership with key stakeholders. ‘Summer’ schools have been held in Cordoba, Spain (UCO) and Ultuna, Sweden (SLU).
WP7 (Ethics requirements) ensures the rigorous application of ethical and data privacy standards, and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR - Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and national equivalent legislation where relevant. Procedures for data collection, storage, protection, retention, and destruction; and to identify and recruit research participants have been implemented. All the data protection, consent procedure and scientific research requirements detailed in the Ethics Summary Report (provided by the European Commission) will continue to be addressed within this WP.
1) Benchmarking of grassland outputs based on local and regional site conditions across Europe.
2) Provision of farm-level tools for the management of permanent grasslands taking into account environmental, economic and social dimensions
3) Enhanced cooperation and knowledge exchange; project partners are working across 5 biogeographical regions applying a transdisciplinary approach to address issues at two different spatial scales:1) local/regional and 2) European scale
4) Improved policy instruments for the conservation of biodiversity and delivery of identified ES and climate action provided by PG and appropriate incentives to reduce conflict between the delivery of contrasting ES such as primary production, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration
5) Integrated scientific support for relevant EU policies (e.g. CAP, WFD, CC objectives)
6) Strengthening of transdisciplinary research and long-lasting implementation of the results obtained through the implementation of the multi-actor approach
Deviations from Annex 1 - Use of resources
The reason for this are in lower monthly labor costs of colleagues which worked on SUPER-G activities than was foreseen in the contract. We will have a larger number of PMs, but we will not exceed the estimated budget.
2) Provision of farm-level tools for the management of permanent grasslands taking into account environmental, economic and social dimensions
3) Enhanced cooperation and knowledge exchange; project partners are working across 5 biogeographical regions applying a transdisciplinary approach to address issues at two different spatial scales:1) local/regional and 2) European scale
4) Improved policy instruments for the conservation of biodiversity and delivery of identified ES and climate action provided by PG and appropriate incentives to reduce conflict between the delivery of contrasting ES such as primary production, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration
5) Integrated scientific support for relevant EU policies (e.g. CAP, WFD, CC objectives)
6) Strengthening of transdisciplinary research and long-lasting implementation of the results obtained through the implementation of the multi-actor approach
Deviations from Annex 1 - Use of resources
The reason for this are in lower monthly labor costs of colleagues which worked on SUPER-G activities than was foreseen in the contract. We will have a larger number of PMs, but we will not exceed the estimated budget.