with FACCE-JPI Knowledge Hub: MACSUR-Partner 65

Lead Research Organisation: Rothamsted Research
Department Name: Sustainable Agriculture Sciences-H

Abstract

FACCE MACSUR2 is made up of partners from over 70 European research institutes, working in three themes focused on crop, livestock and trade modelling. The knowledge hub will use networking and exchanges to further advance European agricultural research capacity in modelling the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security. State-of-the-art climate change risk assessments will be developed for farming and food security at European and regional case study levels. MACSUR2 will build upon the strong links established by networking in MACSUR1 to address the following core objectives:

1. Further advancement of European agricultural research capacity, using networking and exchanges to bring together modelling groups and to link modellers more effectively with experimental researchers.

2. To maintain up-to-date results on climate impacts on agriculture and food security in line with selected core global socioeconomic and climate scenarios until 2050.

3. To develop a new state-of-the art Europe-wide climate change risk assessment for farming and food security

4. To build on the work of MACSUR1 in extending and developing training for 'integrated modellers' able to work across modelling disciplines and to provide integrated, stakeholder-relevant interpretations of modelling outcomes.

5. To develop additional regional integrated case studies for addressing region-specific climate and socioeconomic impacts, needs and chances for adaptation and mitigation.

6. To continue to engage with stakeholders including policy-makers and agro-food-chain representatives to ensure the relevance and impact of modelling approaches and outputs
Given the scientific excellence of the Knowledge Hub, MACSUR2 will address to a greater extent on the interests of policymakers and the agro-food chain, especially farmers.

Technical Summary

FACCE MACSUR2 aims to further advance European agricultural research capacity in modelling the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security, using networking and exchanges to synthesize the research outcomes and approaches of modelling groups and experimental researchers from over 70 institutes in 17 European countries. The overarching challenge is to further develop the pan-European capability in the development, use and interpretation of models to perform risk assessments of the impacts of climate change on European agriculture.
The core Objectives are:

1. Further advancement of European agricultural research capacity, using networking and exchanges to bring together modelling groups and to link modellers more effectively with experimental researchers.

2. To maintain up-to-date results on climate impacts on agriculture and food security in line with selected core global socioeconomic and climate scenarios until 2050.

3. To develop a new state-of-the art Europe-wide climate change risk assessment for farming and food security

4. To build on the work of phase 1 in extending and developing training for 'integrated modellers' able to work across modelling disciplines and to provide integrated, stakeholder-relevant interpretations of modelling outcomes.

5. To develop additional regional integrated case studies for addressing region-specific climate and socioeconomic impacts, needs and chances for adaptation and mitigation.

6. To continue to engage with stakeholders including policy-makers and agro-food-chain representatives to ensure the relevance and impact of modelling approaches and outputs

The MACSUR1 structure of hub coordination and CropM, LiveM and TradeM Themes will be continued in MACSUR2 but complemented by cross-cutting activities bringing together modelling approaches across disciplines to address subject- and region-specific issues.

Planned Impact

MACSUR2 aims to improve our understanding of how European agriculture can adapt to and mitigate climate change. It is therefore of direct relevance to policy makers and the producers and users of food in the European Union. The project is very high profile and is certain to attract considerable interest from these communities as it progresses. In order to ensure that we able to meet this demand for information we will extend and further develop activities undertaken in MACSUR1 to integrate dissemination within the project. Stakeholders will continue to be involved in the major events of the project and the cross-theme stakeholder group will work to further enhance the capacity for and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement in the development and application of modelling. Beyond Europe, it is expected that the activities of MACSUR2 will continue to contribute to the parallel, global modelling efforts of the AgMIP consortium, and build link to other groupings such as GRA (Global Research Alliance), JPI Climate and the ERA Net Plus on Climate Smart Agriculture

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The was a networking project and led to a successful submission to the FACCE -JPI Surplus initiative for funding: Targets for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture along with other MACSUR participants
Exploitation Route This was a networked project with research reported on elsewhere. Associated research has developed a landscape scale model that is now being used to study multiple trade-offs between agriculture and the environment.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Environment

 
Description BBSRC ISP S2N ASSIST
Amount £8,500,000 (GBP)
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2017 
End 03/2022
 
Description FACCE JPI Surplus
Amount € 1,600,000 (EUR)
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2016 
End 04/2019
 
Description Attendance of the FACCE-SURPLUS Knowledge Network on Sustainable Intensification 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact FACCE-JPI wishes to coordinate funding for research in the area of Sustainable Intensification research in Europe
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Attendances TempAg meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Coordination of research on sustainable agriculture in Temperate Agriculture
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description First Annual Meeting of the SI research Community 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The purpose of the SI network was outlined and discussed
Participants fed back the kinds of activities and actions they would like to see
As a result a discussion forum is being set up and a workshop to engage social and biological scientists is being organised
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.sirn.org.uk
 
Description Mid Career Scientists training group 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact 30 young scientists were given training and took part in exercises to simulate grant and report writing. The focus was on the Defra 25 Year plan and the sustainable intensification research network. The event provided an opportunity for the scientists to network with one another
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://sirn.org.uk/event/sustainable-intensification-valuing-nature-in-dialogue-enabling-researcher...
 
Description Tree of Tradeoffs - engagement with members of the public 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact As part of the Rothamsted Festival of ideas celebrating 175 years of Rothamsted, we held an event over the last weekend in June 2018 to ask members of the public about what they would like to see from Agriculture. We had a manufactured tree on which visitors were invited to hang different coloured leaves representing their 4 choices from 6 possibilities: cheap food, rural livelihoods, environment, nutritious food, farm profit or food security. Crucially visitors were limited to the 4 choices. This enabled us to engage with them and talk about what issues were more important than others. Visitors were also encouraged to write comments on the leaves that they hung on the tree. We reached over 600 people in this way, many of them children
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Workshop Eliciting targets for the sustainable development goals and goal 2 in particular 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact A workshop was convened in order to identify the views of stakeholders on the nature of agriculture in 2030 and 2050 and the ways in which agriculture might change to deliver to the UN SDGs in an full and meaningfull way as possible. Stakeholders were divided in to those representing arable, livestock or diary sectors and having identified reasonable targets by way of improving agriculture, reflected on pathways over time to reach these targets and goals
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018