LEGU-MED: Developing Biodiversity-Based Agriculture with Legume Cropping Systems in the Mediterranean Basin
Creators: name: Martinelli, Federico
name: Vollheyde, Anna-Lena
name: Cebrián-Piqueras, Miguel A.
name: Von Haaren, Christina
name: Lorenzetti, Elisa
name: Barberi, Paolo
name: Loreto, Francesco
name: Piergiovanni, Anna Rosa
name: Totev, Valkov Vladimir
name: Bedini, Alberico
name: Morelli, Roberto Kron
name: Yahia, Nourredine
name: Rezki, Meriem Amina
name: Ouslim, Sarah
name: Fyad-Lameche, F.Z.
name: Bekki, Abdelkader
name: Sikora, Sanja
name: Rodríguez-Navarro, Dulce
name: Camacho, María
name: Nabbout, Rania
name: Amil, Rola
name: Trabelsi, Darine
name: Yucel, Derya
name: Yousefi, Sanaz
Publisher: name: Basel : MDPI
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Agro-ecosystems
subject: Agroecology
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Biodiversity-based agriculture
subject: Chickpea
subject: Legumes
subject: Lentil
subject: Mediterranean
subject: Sustainable agriculture
subject: Dewey Decimal Classification::600 | Technik::630 | Landwirtschaft, Veterinärmedizin
subject: Dewey Decimal Classification::600 | Technik::640 | Hauswirtschaft und Familienleben

description: Environmental degradation and the decrease of ecosystem service provision are currently of major concern, with current agricultural systems being a major driver. To meet our future environmental and sustainability targets a transformation of the agro-food systems and current agricultural value chain are crucial. One approach to redesign farming systems is the concept of biodiversity-based agriculture (BBA) which relies on sustainable diversification of biological components and their natural interactions in farming systems to maximize fertility, productivity, and resilience to external perturbations. Despite minimizing anthropogenic inputs, BBA is not yet able to meet all beneficial environmental objectives. BBA applied in the Mediterranean basin requires urgent innovation in approaches, methodologies, and models for small-holder traditional farming systems to ensure a stable provision of ecosystem services and better resilience to environmental stresses linked to climate change. Legumes are the backbone of the Mediterranean agro-ecosystems from ancient times, but their unique and wide biodiversity was not sufficiently valorized, especially by North-African countries. Here, we present LEGU-MED, a three-year international project funded by PRIMA initiative 2019. An international consortium was established involving five universities, 5 research institutes, and one private company from 8 countries: Italy, Germany, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Croatia. The main objective of this project is to put forward an international and well-integrated plan to valorize the legume agrobiodiversity of the Mediterranean in biodiversity-based farming systems and consequently enhance agro-ecosystem functions and services in the Mediterranean basin. The successful completion of LEGU-MED will have the following impacts on Mediterranean legume-based farming systems: (1) improve water use efficiency, (2) reduce the use of anthropogenic inputs through the maintenance of soil fertility, (3) enhance pollination and improve ecological connectivity with flora and fauna, (4) protect close-by wildland ecosystems, (5) enhance other ecosystem services (e.g., pest, disease, and weed suppression), and (6) provide healthier and safer protein-rich food. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.