The existence and management of permanent grasslands (PG) is key to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (ES) across Europe. However, PG maintenance and functions are under threat from sub-optimal management of inputs, cultivation in higher output farming systems and abandonment in remote and marginal areas. The overall objective of the SUPER-G project was to co-develop sustainable PG systems and policies with farmers and policy makers that will be effective in optimising productivity, whilst supporting biodiversity and delivering several other ES.
This context, and after 6 and half years of work, has driven SUPER-G project to organize a final conference not only to present the project results to an international audience but also to count with other experts and stakeholders that share their experience and knowledge.
The SUPER-G final conference “Sustainable Permanent Grasslands (PG) in Europe: services, management and policies”, was held on the 7th February 2024, from 9.30am to 4pm CET, in a hybrid format (online and in Brussels). This event brought high-profile experts to create the necessary debate over the best solutions and strategies to manage Permanent Grasslands in Europe, including policies and future steps. The purpose of this conference was to spread the project objectives and results, to strength SUPER-G network and to enable the exchange of knowledge and innovation between researchers and practitioners within and outside the consortium.
This conference helped support the sustainable management of permanent pastures across Europe, with some Europe’s leading experts in the thematic.
For the conference there were a total of 146 registrants from all over Europe and with different profiles. During the conference, we had more attendees than expected, with a total of 130 participants online and 36 in person.
The SUPER-G final conference successfully gathered leading experts and stakeholders to address the urgent need for sustainable management of permanent grasslands in Europe, promoting knowledge exchange and opening the way for informed policies and practices. With a large audience and committed participation, the event emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to safeguard these vital ecosystems for future generations.
The main objectives of the conference were to discuss the following topics:
- The extent and state of permanent pastures
- Threats to permanent pastures and the provision of ecosystem services/essential public goods
- How to manage permanent pastures for multiple public goods/ What is sustainable management of permanent pastures?
- Better communication about the types of permanent pastures and their role in agricultural systems
- Attitudes, preferences and priorities of farmers and citizens towards permanent pasture management and the countryside
- Policy options to support the sustainable management of permanent pastures
- How food production and the provision of ecosystem services vary with the intensity of permanent pasture management
- How farmers can demonstrate the public goods provided by their permanent pastures.
