Agricultural intensification has long been recognized as a double-edged sword in the context of food security and environmental sustainability. By increasing crop yields per hectare through the amplified use of fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanization, it has undeniably bolstered global food production. However, this intensification process has simultaneously precipitated alarming declines in biodiversity across agroecosystems, particularly within the European Union (EU). The primary driver behind this decline is the progressive loss of landscape features, the small but ecologically vital patches of natural or semi-natural vegetation embedded within agricultural lands. These elements serve as indispensable reservoirs of biodiversity, and their erosion threatens the resilience and functionality of entire ecosystems.
Landscape features encompass a variety of elements found dispersed within farming regions, including hedgerows, ponds, ditches, isolated trees, field margins, stone walls, unused fragments of land, ancient canals, and natural springs. Each of these features creates unique microhabitats that support distinct assemblages of plant and animal species. Their collective presence forms a complex ecological mosaic that maintains habitat connectivity, facilitates species movement, and enhances the heterogeneous nature of agricultural landscapes. This heterogeneity is critical not only for biodiversity conservation but also for sustaining ecosystem services such as pollination, pest regulation, soil fertility, and water management.
Importantly, landscape features act as ecological corridors, bridging habitat patches and thus countering the fragmenting effects of intensive farming. By providing shelter and resources for pollinators, predatory insects, birds, and other wildlife, these features offer a form of biological infrastructure that underpins the stability of agroecosystems. Moreover, many landscape elements afford protection against environmental stressors, including extreme weather events, predation, and anthropogenic disturbances. For instance, hedgerows can mitigate wind erosion and reduce soil temperature fluctuations, while ponds contribute to local humidity regulation and serve as breeding grounds for amphibians that control pest populations.
Recognizing the paramount role of landscape features, the European Union has embedded their reintroduction and protection within its ambitious Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. This strategic framework seeks to restore ecological balance by increasing the coverage of landscape features to at least 10% of EU agricultural land. Achieving such a target requires a nuanced understanding of the socio-ecological contexts in which agricultural production occurs, as well as tailored approaches to reintegrate natural elements without compromising farm productivity.
Stepping into this critical arena is the recently launched LAFERIA project—Landscape Features Reintroduction in Intensive Agricultural land—supported by Horizon Europe. Officially commencing in January 2025, LAFERIA is dedicated to dissecting and overcoming the barriers that hinder widespread landscape feature reintroduction. The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium tasked with identifying key ecological, social, and economic drivers, evaluating associated benefits and trade-offs, and developing scalable, actionable strategies to reintegrate biodiversity-supporting features seamlessly into farming systems across Europe.
The project’s inaugural kick-off meeting in February 2025, held at the BIOPOLIS headquarters in Vila do Conde, Portugal, marked the assembly of diverse experts united by a shared vision. Over two intensive days, stakeholders from seven European nations—including Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany—engaged in rigorous dialogues aimed at aligning objectives and fostering strong collaboration frameworks. This consortium integrates expertise spanning ecology, agronomy, socio-economics, and policy analysis, reflecting the multifaceted nature of reintroducing landscape features into modern agriculture.
A cornerstone of LAFERIA’s methodology lies in its in-depth case studies spread across diverse agroecological contexts. These case studies will combine research with participatory action, leveraging stakeholder engagement frameworks to co-develop restoration strategies rooted in local realities. By involving farmers, land managers, policymakers, and conservationists from the outset, the project ensures that interventions are grounded in practical feasibility and socio-economic acceptance, crucial factors for sustainable uptake.
During the kick-off, comprehensive presentations detailed the project’s background, goals, and organizational structure. Sessions led by representatives from the European Commission and the Research Executive Agency (REA) reviewed project management under Horizon Europe and elucidated policy frameworks such as the EU Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which form the policy backdrop to LAFERIA’s ambitions. Subsequent discussions unpacked the interconnectedness of various project tasks, fostering a systemic understanding essential to tackling the complex issues at hand.
The consortium’s strategic approach acknowledges that reintroducing landscape features is not merely a matter of ecological restoration but involves reconciling agricultural productivity with biodiversity goals. Therefore, LAFERIA’s research encompasses evaluation of ecosystem service enhancements, assessment of potential trade-offs such as yield impacts, and exploration of innovative management techniques that optimize synergistic outcomes. This integrated vision positions landscape features as multifunctional assets within agroecosystems rather than marginal or competing land uses.
An important dimension of LAFERIA’s work involves developing tailored stakeholder engagement tools to harness local knowledge and foster co-ownership of restoration initiatives. Workshops, brainstorming sessions, and surveys—already part of the project’s interactive activities—aim to build trust and facilitate knowledge exchange. These participatory processes are vital in generating context-specific insights and overcoming social or institutional barriers that have historically impeded the restoration of ecological elements in intensified agricultural landscapes.
Aside from research activities, LAFERIA has prioritized communication and dissemination by launching an official website and cultivating a vibrant stakeholder community. This digital platform acts as a central repository of project updates, knowledge products, and engagement opportunities, thus broadening the reach and impact of the project. Through social media channels such as LinkedIn, Bluesky, and YouTube, LAFERIA is fostering wider societal awareness and encouraging active participation in advancing European biodiversity goals.
Ultimately, LAFERIA epitomizes a holistic, forward-looking initiative aiming to recalibrate the relationship between intensive agriculture and biodiversity conservation. Its emphasis on landscape features as keystones of agroecosystem resilience aligns with growing scientific consensus that landscape-scale interventions are indispensable to halting biodiversity loss. The project’s four-year trajectory promises to yield crucial insights and practical solutions adaptable across diverse European contexts, thereby making a substantive contribution to the EU’s vision of sustainable and nature-positive agriculture.
As the global community confronts escalating environmental challenges, initiatives like LAFERIA serve as vital exemplars for integrating ecological restoration within productive landscapes. By fostering collaborative networks, integrating multi-disciplinary knowledge, and focusing on actionable outcomes, the project paves the way toward a future where agricultural landscapes are not only productive but also biodiverse, resilient, and supportive of ecosystem health.
Subject of Research: Landscape feature reintroduction and biodiversity conservation in intensified European agricultural systems.
Article Title: LAFERIA: Reimagining European Agriculture Through Landscape Feature Reintroduction for Biodiversity Recovery
News Publication Date: February 2025
Web References:
- LAFERIA official website: https://laferia-project.eu/
- European Commission Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en
- BIOPOLIS Vila do Conde: https://www.biopolis.pt/en/
- European Research Executive Agency (REA): https://rea.ec.europa.eu/index_en
- EU Green Deal: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en
Image Credits: Pensoft Publishers
Keywords: Biodiversity, Agriculture, Landscape Features, Ecological Restoration, Agroecosystems, EU Biodiversity Strategy, Horizon Europe, Participatory Research
