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Agroforestry is paying off – Economic evaluation of ecosystem services in European landscapes with and without agroforestry systems

Author

Listed:
  • Kay, Sonja
  • Graves, Anil
  • Palma, João H.N.
  • Moreno, Gerardo
  • Roces-Díaz, José V.
  • Aviron, Stéphanie
  • Chouvardas, Dimitrios
  • Crous-Duran, Josep
  • Ferreiro-Domínguez, Nuria
  • García de Jalón, Silvestre
  • Măcicăşan, Vlad
  • Mosquera-Losada, María Rosa
  • Pantera, Anastasia
  • Santiago-Freijanes, Jose Javier
  • Szerencsits, Erich
  • Torralba, Mario
  • Burgess, Paul J.
  • Herzog, Felix

Abstract

The study assessed the economic performance of marketable ecosystem services (ES) (biomass production) and non-marketable ecosystem services and dis-services (groundwater, nutrient loss, soil loss, carbon sequestration, pollination deficit) in 11 contrasting European landscapes dominated by agroforestry land use compared to business as usual agricultural practice. The productivity and profitability of the farming activities and the associated ES were quantified using environmental modelling and economic valuation. After accounting for labour and machinery costs the financial value of the outputs of Mediterranean agroforestry systems tended to be greater than the corresponding agricultural system; but in Atlantic and Continental regions the agricultural system tended to be more profitable. However, when economic values for the associated ES were included, the relative profitability of agroforestry increased. Agroforestry landscapes: (i) were associated to reduced externalities of pollution from nutrient and soil losses, and (ii) generated additional benefits from carbon capture and storage and thus generated an overall higher economic gain. Our findings underline how a market system that includes the values of broader ES would result in land use change favouring multifunctional agroforestry. Imposing penalties for dis-services or payments for services would reflect their real world prices and would make agroforestry a more financially profitable system.

Suggested Citation

  • Kay, Sonja & Graves, Anil & Palma, João H.N. & Moreno, Gerardo & Roces-Díaz, José V. & Aviron, Stéphanie & Chouvardas, Dimitrios & Crous-Duran, Josep & Ferreiro-Domínguez, Nuria & García de JalÃ, 2019. "Agroforestry is paying off – Economic evaluation of ecosystem services in European landscapes with and without agroforestry systems," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:36:y:2019:i:c:4
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2019.100896
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    Cited by:

    1. Aguilera, Eduardo & Díaz-Gaona, Cipriano & García-Laureano, Raquel & Reyes-Palomo, Carolina & Guzmán, Gloria I. & Ortolani, Livia & Sánchez-Rodríguez, Manuel & Rodríguez-Estévez, Vicente, 2020. "Agroecology for adaptation to climate change and resource depletion in the Mediterranean region. A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    2. Meine van Noordwijk & Richard Coe & Fergus L. Sinclair & Eike Luedeling & Jules Bayala & Catherine W. Muthuri & Peter Cooper & Roeland Kindt & Lalisa Duguma & Christine Lamanna & Peter A. Minang, 2021. "Climate change adaptation in and through agroforestry: four decades of research initiated by Peter Huxley," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 1-33, June.
    3. Parron, Lucilia Maria & Villanueva, Anastasio Jose & Glenk, Klaus, 2022. "Estimating the value of ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes amid intensification pressures: The Brazilian case," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    4. Staton, Tom & Breeze, Tom D. & Walters, Richard J. & Smith, Jo & Girling, Robbie D., 2022. "Productivity, biodiversity trade-offs, and farm income in an agroforestry versus an arable system," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    5. Smith, Laurence G. & Westaway, Sally & Mullender, Samantha & Ghaley, Bhim Bahadur & Xu, Ying & Lehmann, Lisa Mølgaard & Pisanelli, Andrea & Russo, Giuseppe & Borek, Robert & Wawer, Rafał & Borzęcka, M, 2022. "Assessing the multidimensional elements of sustainability in European agroforestry systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    6. Richter, Franziska & Jan, Pierrick & El Benni, Nadja & Lüscher, Andreas & Buchmann, Nina & Klaus, Valentin H., 2021. "A guide to assess and value ecosystem services of grasslands," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    7. Bagella, Simonetta & Caria, Maria Carmela & Seddaiu, Giovanna & Leites, Laura & Roggero, Pier Paolo, 2020. "Patchy landscapes support more plant diversity and ecosystem services than wood grasslands in Mediterranean silvopastoral agroforestry systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    8. Barnes, A.P. & McMillan, J. & Sutherland, L.-A. & Hopkins, J. & Thomson, S.G., 2022. "Farmer intentional pathways for net zero carbon: Exploring the lock-in effects of forestry and renewables," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    9. Huber, Robert & Tarruella, Marta & Schäfer, David & Finger, Robert, 2023. "Marginal climate change abatement costs in Swiss dairy production considering farm heterogeneity and interaction effects," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    10. Calle, Alicia, 2020. "Can short-term payments for ecosystem services deliver long-term tree cover change?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).

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