Characterising permanent grassland-based farming systems in Europe

Characterising permanent grassland-based farming systems in Europe
Characterising permanent grassland-based farming systems in Europe

Authors: H KOREVAAR, D SACCO, S R ENRI, G LOMBARDI, H T BERGE, C BUFE, M WHITTINGHAM, P SMITH, T VANWALLEGHEM, E LELLEI-KOVÁCS, P STYPINSKI, S HEJDUK, B TONN, P NEWELL PRICE

Permanent grasslands (PG) provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) and are also the basis for many highly valued landscapes and support rural vitality and recreational potential in many regions; and yet in many parts of Europe, PG systems are threatened by abandonment and afforestation, intensification, or conversion to arable land. To support the maintenance and sustainable management of PG, the Horizon 2020 SUPER-G project (SUstainable PERmanent Grassland Systems and Policies) has set out to (i) increase understanding of the importance and functioning of PG within a range of important European biogeographic regions; (ii) benchmark PG performance across Europe; (iii) develop integrated approaches for sustainable PG management; and (iv) develop tools and policy mechanisms inclusive of stakeholder and citizen priorities. A PG-based farming systems typology will provide one of the strata for the implementation of these activities. This paper presents the first outcomes of an inventory of PG-based farming systems in five biogeographical regions of Europe.

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