Evaluating the productivity, environmental sustainability and wider impacts of agroecological compared to conventional farming systems

Tender description

RDE Framework 1 Opportunity - Sub-lot 2.3 A study is required to explore the impacts of practices and interventions that are adopted under agroecological or regenerative farming systems (including organic) compared to conventional, specialist farming systems. This should include environmental and climate (mitigation and adaptation) impacts, soil health and function, productivity and yield, farm competitiveness and agro-economics and wider impacts such as animal health and welfare, and social and economic implications. Requirements include: a review of the evidence around agroecological farming systems and the interventions typically included within these systems, including mixed crop-livestock systems; the capability to model the impacts at farm, regional and national scale; and an appraisal of key sustainability metrics. It is critical that evidence gaps are identified as part of this process. The second part of this project will be a scoping study consisting of landscape mapping of existing research capacity and initiatives in the UK into agroecological practices to identify gaps and examine the need for a strategic agroecology trials network to generate policy focussed evidence.