Transformation for sustainable nutrient supply and management

The project “transformation for sustainable nutrient supply and management” (trans4num) aspires to substantiate and broadly promote Nature-based solution (NBS) innovations for sustainable agriculture in Europe and China.

In particular, trans4num will focus on nutrient management (bio-based nutrient sources, sustainable crop rotations, optimization of nutrient flows) and will 1) develop a differentiated understanding of NBS potentials for achieving sustainable agricultural practices, 2) study the complexities of applying NBS, 3) develop a dynamic and smart nutrient management tool to support regional decision making for optimum nutrient supply, and 4) assess the (net) impact of technological and social innovations as well as policies related to NBS.

To realize its objectives, trans4num will use a social-ecological transformation (SET) framework tailored to study 20 NBS farm-level innovations in 7 regions with intensive farming systems.

The project will implement the multi-actor approach to consider various societal concerns and interests related to NBS in agricultural nutrient management and to identify promising transformation pathways for social innovations conducive to a wider acceptance and adoption of NBS .

In the course of four years, the project will bring together experience, expertise and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines from 22 partners in Europe and China and apply a range of methods and formats to advance and foster NBS implementation prospects (e.g. farmer discussion groups, stakeholder panels, hackathons) The results of the project are expected to contribute to the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and Zero Pollution ambition strategies as well as China’s policy: the 14th Five-Year Planning for Green Agriculture Development strategy with their ambition to halt pollution and limit N/P emissions.