Environmentally friendly almonds can still be profitable
Last year Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 researchers showed that nature-inclusive farming practices in almond plantations when compared to conventional management. In a new study they can now conclude that this type of nature-inspired almond production : nature can be restored while making profits.
There is an urgent need for a holistic change in how woody crops in dry lands are managed. Due to climate change and unsustainable land management in olives, almonds and wine production, the European Mediterranean area where almonds are produced is threatened by desertification.
Nature-inclusive practices show improvements within a year
Researchers from the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development of Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 investigated how nature-inclusive practices such as restoring understory vegetation and enriching soil with compost change the ecosystem on almond plantations. They showed that already within a year this led to improvement in ecosystem services such as plant biodiversity, carbon stock, soil fertility, and soil microorganism communities.
Compost also improved almond production, and is therefore beneficial for both almond farmers and nature. However, the ecological benefits of restoring the understory vegetation cover resulted in reduced almond production. Despite vegetation cover having lower management costs since the land is not tilled, it still provided lower net revenues for almond farmers compared to the more productive conventional tillage management.
Further supporting nature-inclusive almond production
鈥淧rice premiums and public subsidies can be used to make nature-inclusive management more profitable and to compensate for loss of earnings compared to conventional management,鈥 say authors Vincent De Leijster, Dr Pita Verweij, Dr Ren茅 Verburg and Professor Martin Wassen. 鈥淧rice premiums are currently paid for organic production, and since recently have been paid voluntarily for nature-inclusively produced products. Public subsidies, for example CAP European Greening Payments, could also be used to financially support nature-inclusive practices in almond orchards鈥. This means that regulations for qualifying for the subsidy need to be adjusted and more compensation than is currently given is needed.
Financially compensating for the delivery of environmental services, such as the storage of carbon or the prevention of erosion, is often proposed as an alternative to compensating for loss of farmer income. This study showed that under the current conditions this does not provide sufficient compensation as the carbon price is too low and Mediterranean soils store relatively little carbon, conclude the authors.
This research contributes to the Future Food hub of Utrecht 木瓜福利影视鈥檚 strategic theme Pathways to Sustainability, as well as to Utrecht 木瓜福利影视鈥檚 Academy of Ecosystem Services.
Publications
Vincent De Leijster*, Ren茅 Verburg*, Maria Santos*, Martin Wassen*, Maria Mart铆nez-Mena, Joris de Vente, Pita Verweij*
Agricultural Systems 183, 2020
Vincent De Leijster*, Maria Santos*, Martin Wassen*, Maria Ramos-Font, Ana Bel茅n Robles, Mario D铆az*, Maartje Staal*, Pita Verweij*
Ecosystem Services 38, 2019
* = from Utrecht 木瓜福利影视