Special Issue "Sustainability in Agricultural Systems and Ecosystem Services"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lucia Rocchi
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dept. of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: Ecosystem services, Sustainable farming system, Decision support system, Sustainability analysis
Dr. Luisa Paolotti
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dept. of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: Sustainability analysis, Environmental impact evaluation, Life Cycle Assessment, Ecological Footprint, Decision Support Systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays world requires that food systems adapt to meet the demands of a growing population, to deal with the urgency of climate change and the challenge of environmental conservation in the face of a range of planetary pressures. By 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9.8 billions, requiring a 70 percent increase in food production. At the same time agriculture needs to adopt sustainable solutions that lead to healthier agro-ecosystems, to carry on producing of food into the future.

Ecosystem services underpin most part of the agricultural production systems. However, they are considered to be as free and expected component of the production system instead of an essential component that could cease if not properly managed. Ecosystem-based approaches offer an option to increase the sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems, strengthening key natural ecosystem services, protecting rural livelihoods and ensuring food security.

This Special Issue will comprise a selection of papers presenting original and innovative contributions to the research field of sustainability of agricultural systems. In particular, contributions about the following themes will be considered: the promotion of agriculture based on diversifying farms and farming landscapes; the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services into food production; the evaluation of positive and effective incentives systems for diversification, involving also trade and consumption; the assessment of sustainability and resilience in agricultural systems; the multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services production and the advancement in decision support tools for improving sustainability of agricultural systems.

Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications. 

Dr. Lucia Rocchi
Dr. Luisa Paolotti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecosystem-based agriculture
  • biodiversity-based agriculture
  • ecosystem services management
  • ecosystem services production
  • agro-ecosystem services assessment
  • sustainable ecosystems services
  • resilience in agricultural systems

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

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Review
Sustainable Agricultural Systems: A Bibliometrics Analysis of Ecological Modernization Approach
Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9635; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229635 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 856
Abstract
Agricultural systems need to be more sustainable. Nowadays, the global food production has a remarkable impact in terms of greenhouse gases production, terrestrial acidification, eutrophication and land consumption. Moreover, one of the effects of unsustainable agriculture is depletion of ecosystem services (ES) on [...] Read more.
Agricultural systems need to be more sustainable. Nowadays, the global food production has a remarkable impact in terms of greenhouse gases production, terrestrial acidification, eutrophication and land consumption. Moreover, one of the effects of unsustainable agriculture is depletion of ecosystem services (ES) on which agricultural systems themselves are dependent. Alternative agricultural systems are possible: the aim of this review was to analyze one of these alternative systems, i.e., strong ecological modernization, to understand relevant topics and current state of the art connected with it. As a result that strong ecological modernization can be considered an ecosystem services-based farming system, we focused on the development of topics related to ecosystem services but also to diversification. The review has been conducted applying a bibliometrics approach to recognize the main papers, authors, organization and countries, as well as trend topics and main themes investigated. The results showed that basic research content involves agrobiodiversity, agroecology and diversified farming systems. At the same time, the review revealed a lack about the social and economic dimensions of sustainability that need to be addressed for promoting a true transition to a strong ecological modernization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Agricultural Systems and Ecosystem Services)
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Project Report
CROSYMED Project: Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency through Legumes in Agroecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4695; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094695 - 22 Apr 2021
Viewed by 532
Abstract
Modern intensive agricultural systems generally focus on the productivity of monocultures. They are characterized by a low diversity of crops, with uniform and symmetrical planting layouts. They largely rely on the utilization of chemical inputs. They are widely denounced for their negative environmental [...] Read more.
Modern intensive agricultural systems generally focus on the productivity of monocultures. They are characterized by a low diversity of crops, with uniform and symmetrical planting layouts. They largely rely on the utilization of chemical inputs. They are widely denounced for their negative environmental impacts. In this context, the ecological intensification framework proposes the exploitation of biodiversity in order to better achieve such ecosystem services and soil conservation. Intercropping, i.e., the simultaneous growth of two or more crops mixed in the same field, appears to have the potentialities to improve the productivity, resilience capacity, and ecological sustainability of agroecosystems through the intensification of such positive interactions between plants as facilitation and niche complementarity. Cereal–legume intercropping turns out to be effective in low-N agroecosystems, since legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen via their symbiosis with rhizobia. This fixed N, in turn, benefits the cereal through various ecological processes. The objective of the project is to improve the benefit of legumes for intercropped cereals in low-input agroecosystems through the management of plant–plant and plant–microbe interactions. The nitrogen-fixing symbiosis requires phosphorus and iron to be efficient. While these nutrients are prone to be lacking in N-limited agroecosystems, as is the case in Mediterranean agroecosystems, plant–plant interactions and rhizobacteria and mycorrhiza interactions seem to play an important role in their acquisition and efficient utilization. We propose the development of a participatory research project in four Mediterranean agroecosystems. Agronomic and environmental diagnosis will be performed in the field to assess N and P biogeochemical cycles, as well as Fe availability, in combination with the plant performances and the diversity of soil microorganisms. Molecular identification of soil microorganisms from the most productive sites will be done and research of genes for tolerance to Fe- and P-deficiencies will be realized. Glasshouse experiments involving various cultivars of cereals and legumes, as well as the previously identified microorganisms, will be done in order to disentangle the various mechanisms of nutrient acquisition, sharing, and transfer between plants. Other experiments will assess the effects of cereal–legume–microbe interactions on the development and architecture of the plant root systems and root hair development. The lines of research are integrated with a strategy of functional ecology on plant–microbe–soil interactions in the agroecosystems of Gabès (Tunisia), Boumedfaa (Algeria), Beni Mellal (Morocco), and Thessaloniki (Greece). Using multidisciplinary and innovative approaches, the program will provide novel knowledge and understanding of agroecosystem management for food production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Agricultural Systems and Ecosystem Services)
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Opinion
Towards Sustainable Organic Farming Systems
Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9832; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239832 - 24 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 948
Abstract
The European Union green deal has proposed the “organic farming action plan” to render a farming system that is more sustainable and adaptable in terms of climate change mitigation and thus enable meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). While this policy [...] Read more.
The European Union green deal has proposed the “organic farming action plan” to render a farming system that is more sustainable and adaptable in terms of climate change mitigation and thus enable meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). While this policy instrument is fundamental to achieving sustainable agriculture, there is still no agreement on what sustainable agriculture is and how to measure it. This opinion paper proposes an ecosystem-based framework for the crop life cycle to determine the balance between the economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainability toward supporting decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Agricultural Systems and Ecosystem Services)
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