[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7122\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELand use puts huge pressure on Earth\u2019s resources. Here\u2019s what needs to change\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe asked six experts in land use for their thoughts on priorities for the future.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need circular fertilisers - Professor Erik Meers, Ghent University, Belgium\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the Second World War, the increasing world population has made it more and more challenging to provide food security for everybody. Agriculture had to be intensified and production became dependent on hard-to-obtain chemical sources. That\u2019s the case for the substances contained in fertilisers: for instance, nitrogen is extracted from the atmosphere with the help of fossil fuels, while phosphorous is found in rocks in China, the US, Africa and the Middle East.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe were able to make the entire food chain more efficient, but we are progressively using more natural resources (to make fertilisers) that are either in the form of rock deposit or natural gas. Animal breeding also industrialised, though we had to import enormous amounts of protein crops from South America to feed our animals because we don\u2019t have enough protein source production in Europe. Those imported products also contain nitrogen, because proteins are actually organic nitrogen - that\u2019s why animals need it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a consequence, across Europe there are areas where there is too much nitrogen and phosphorous in manure to use as fertiliser. And that\u2019s a kind of a paradox: in Europe we don\u2019t have enough nutrients in chemical form and we end up having too much nutrients in organic form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClosing the nutrient loop is one of the main challenges of the century. We need to turn those inefficient nutrients from organic sources into new chemical fertilisers based on bio nutrients and thereby make the surplus useful to meet our food demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need to be inclusive - Prof. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorg Winkel, European Forest Institute, Germany\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELand is a scarce resource in the European Union, although there are huge differences depending on where you are. Europe\u2019s societies use land for different purposes: food, energy, wood for material and energetic use, but also recreation, beauty and relaxation in nature. In addition, science tells us about the critical importance of land management for climate change mitigation and biodiversity. Finally, policies - to promote renewable energies and materials - will put additional pressures on land in the EU, but also globally through international trade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo meet all these demands, integrated land management approaches (to reduce the collective environmental footprint from different uses) are needed. This is, in theory, an accepted model for land use in Europe but to implement it in practice remains a challenge. Moreover, there is also an allocation problem: most of the demand for nature and rewilding (leaving nature to take its own course) comes from the urban population of Europe\u2019s big agglomerations, but cities consume most of the energy, material and food generated from intense management. In turn, large areas of abandoned land are found in rural regions where the population sometimes see this rather as lost territories and a sign of rural decline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur research on forests shows that, while the integrated management approach has great potential for many forest areas in Europe, transparency and also inclusion of society might be decisive to create trust and understanding, particularly for demands such as wood production, biodiversity conservation and recreation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022From left to right: Professor Georg Winkel, Professor Erik Meers, and Dr Wouter Helmer. Image credit - Jose Bola\u00f1os, Prof. Erik Meers, Rob Buiter\u0022 height=\u00221615\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/mosaic-1.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022From left to right: Professor Georg Winkel, Professor Erik Meers, and Dr Wouter Helmer. Image credit - Jose Bola\u00f1os, Prof. Erik Meers, Rob Buiter\u0022 width=\u00223360\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EFrom left to right: Professor Georg Winkel, Professor Erik Meers, and Dr Wouter Helmer. Image credit - Jose Bola\u00f1os, Prof. Erik Meers, Rob Buiter\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need to rewild land - Dr Wouter Helmer, Rewilding Europe, The Netherlands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERewilding lands could help provide all kinds of climate-related solutions. For example, with new natural areas we could better store water at the source of rivers by using these lands as a sponge that keeps the area dry during the rainy seasons and releases more water during the dry seasons. There is also a reduction in flood risk within natural areas. Finally, rewilded lands store a lot of carbon, which helps mitigate the effects of climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the things we are currently exploring for the European Commission is the use of more natural grazing management models also as a solution to large wildfires. It\u2019s much easier to fight fires or even to avoid fires at all, in these half-open natural lands than it is in closed scrublands or forest-monocultures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, our experiences with natural systems are limited. What we really need is to create a bridge between what we know from these pioneering areas and the broader economy. At the next stage, we need to scale up and reach the financial world, so that others can understand that investing in the landscape is not only good from an environmental perspective but also very attractive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am optimistic, I see big steps in our thinking and the public debate moving very fast in the right direction. In the coming years it will be exciting to see how we will re-organise ourselves to solve the big climate issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need to preserve soil capacity - Prof. Daniel Nahon, Aix-Marseille Universit\u00e9, France\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGlobal warming will warm lands five times more than oceans, meaning that, for an average increase of world temperature of 2\u00b0C or 2.5\u00b0C, land temperature will rise about 10\u00b0C.\u0026nbsp;So the great challenge of global warming is the soil and water resources, i.e. world agriculture and its food productivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow do we feed the world, diminish poverty and improve people\u2019s health without adverse ecological consequences? By preserving soil capacity. Utilisation of mineral fertilisers seems to be the best solution for enlarging food production. It\u2019s worth a try to propose a solid basis of scientific studies for rewriting the guidelines for fertilisers\u2019 uses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter one century of intensive agriculture, one out of seven people still go hungry, while a third of the world\u2019s landmass is used for animal farming and production. Intensive agriculture uses 86% of freshwater, it damages the environment and farmers\u2019 health and it impoverishes soils and biodiversity. Small farmholders cannot provide for their own livelihoods and many commit suicide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is critical to change toward new farming practices. This will take time, but we have lost two decades not taking into account the importance of living soils.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need policy to help put innovations into practice - Dr \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelena Gomez Macpherson, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture of the Spanish National Research Council, Spain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConservation agriculture, which involves minimal soil disturbance, maintaining permanent soil cover and rotating crops, is promoted by many international and national institutions for conserving soil and water. It has been largely adopted in America (North and South) but little in Europe, in spite of extensive research. Similarly, there are new technologies available for improving irrigation scheduling, but few are adopted commercially. Many farmers argue that options proposed by scientists are not always effective at farm scale, that the economic return to investments is unknown and that many of these options are not user friendly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce the value of an innovation is proven, its adoption will mostly depend on socioeconomic context. In productive agriculture systems, farmers will be ready to try new options. For example, some of the best olive cooperatives now have their own composting plant for using the residues obtained during olive oil production aiming at a circular economy. However, farmers in low productive environments have a small window to adopt or even try new options unless they have public support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA good policy is the most effective way to promote adoption of technology or strategies by farmers. However, this must be accompanied by transparent cost-benefit analyses that include impact on the crop, the economics and the environment in local conditions. On-farm research should play a key role in developing viable options in these terms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Clockwise from top left: Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, and Dr Helena Gomez Macpherson. Image credit - Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, L. Mateos \u0022 height=\u00221500\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/mosaic-2_0.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Clockwise from top left: Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, and Dr Helena Gomez Macpherson. Image credit - Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, L. Mateos \u0022 width=\u00222000\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EClockwise from top left: Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, and Dr Helena Gomez Macpherson. Image credit - Professor Jan-Olof Drangert, Professor Daniel Nahon, L. Mateos\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe need to manage water better - Prof. Jan-Olof Drangert, Link\u00f6ping University, Sweden\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 21\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;century will experience an unprecedented population increase and concentration to urban areas. These areas are hotspots for water and food demand and for disposal of used water and plant nutrients, which calls for a system-based (holistic) approach to balance these flows through the cities and connect to agriculture. This should guide city planning and household infrastructure investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe waste hierarchy, which includes liquid waste, helps to prioritise different waste management measures according to what is best for the environment.\u0026nbsp;There is much water-saving equipment and many devices that can substantially reduce water use without losing personal comfort. Upstream measures, in particular to reduce the use of manufactured chemical consumer products, will facilitate treatment of wastewater to a quality that allows reuse and recycling of water and nutrients. A systems approach that applies the above two tools suggests that there is enough safe urban water available and recycled nutrients can replace a large part of chemical fertilisers. Two measures to achieve this are keeping toilet water separate and segregating biowaste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow is a unique opportunity to replace business as usual and invest in sustainability, when new cities and suburbs are erected at a high rate. If societies do not act now and strive for a circular society, they will most likely have to retrofit at high costs in the near future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn 26 September, Dr Gomez MacPherson, Prof. Winkel and Prof. Meers will be participating in a session called \u003Cu\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/digital-single-market\/events\/cf\/european-research-and-innovation-days\/item-display.cfm?id=23564\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ENatural resources in a changing climate \u2013 spot on agriculture and forestry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E at the EU\u2019s Research \u0026amp; Innovation days to help shape the scope of EU research and policy on land use from 2021 to 2027.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Ch3\u003EEuropean Research \u0026amp; Innovation Days\u003C\/h3\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/events\/upcoming-events\/european-research-and-innovation-days_en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEuropean Research \u0026amp; Innovation Days\u003C\/a\u003E, which will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from 24 to 26 September, are designed to bring together policymakers, academics, industry, civil society and entrepreneurs to discuss how research and innovation can help tackle the major issues facing the EU over the next decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea is to seek a wide range of opinions from experts and interested parties about priorities for the first four years of the EU\u2019s upcoming \u20ac100 billion research funding programme,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/horizon-europe-next-research-and-innovation-framework-programme_en\u0022\u003EHorizon Europe\u003C\/a\u003E. In addition to conference sessions, policymakers from the EU and national administrations will be available throughout the event in a space called Horizon Village to gather further input from participants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event, which is set to be an annual affair, consists of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/events\/upcoming-events\/european-research-and-innovation-days\/policy-conference_en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Epolicy conference\u003C\/a\u003E to shape the Horizon Europe work programme, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/events\/upcoming-events\/european-research-and-innovation-days\/innovative-europe-hub_en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Einnovation hub\u003C\/a\u003E for innovators and investors to network, and a public exhibition called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/research-and-innovation\/events\/upcoming-events\/european-research-and-innovation-days\/science-wonderful-exhibition_en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EScience is Wonderful!\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-xlwkwolfkj8bkkwg8-up20e7zmaoqxng978fabkgsse\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-XLWKwOlfkJ8BkkWG8-Up20e7zMaOQXNg978faBKGSSE\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]