Abstract
Considering the social and ecological obsolescence of the conventional agricultural model and the crisis faced by rural areas, innovative models based on collective initiatives and agroecological practices are emerging. Here, we present the use of a participatory farming lab as a space to reactivate the agrarian sector in rural and periurban areas of Madrid. The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to describe the project; (2) to identify participants’ profiles and motivations and (3) to identify the most socially valued ecosystem services and the actions collectively taken to enhance them. To do so, we have used the living lab conceptual approach and the ecosystem service lens. Data gathering included a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques, including participant observation, informal and formal meetings, interviews, workshops and surveys. We found a diversity of motivations for enrolling in the program and 20 ecosystem services were selected as socially important. We also describe how the project has contributed to adopting agroecological practices to sustain those ecosystem services. Finally, we discuss the contribution of the project towards new and integrated rural development strategies, including its potential to promote cooperative solutions that enhance farming activity by also providing ecosystem services.
Highlights
The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank for a period of three years (2005–2008) recognized how, despite the scientific and technological achievements to improve agricultural productivity, insufficient attention has been paid to the environmental and social consequences of the prevailing agrifood model [1]
We have described and analyzed living lab principles in the context of agriculture with the purpose of reactivating the agrarian sector in rural and periurban areas of Madrid with agroecological practices enhanced by collective action and cooperation
The Agrolab project follows the common principles of living labs in relation to continuity, openness, realism, empowerment and spontaneity together with the promotion of an agroecological transition following socioecological system thinking by enhancing participation, social inclusion, circular economy and a combination of knowledge systems by using an experimental and scientific design that ensures monitoring
Summary
The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank for a period of three years (2005–2008) recognized how, despite the scientific and technological achievements to improve agricultural productivity, insufficient attention has been paid to the environmental and social consequences of the prevailing agrifood model [1]. The intensification and globalization of food systems has created detrimental impacts related to the following: (1) abandonment of rural areas due to the low profitability for smallholders and relocation of production; (2) aging and masculinization of rural populations, lack of generational replacement and loss of cultural memory; (3) high dependence on fossil fuels and changes in demand in international markets; (4) climate change and greater vulnerability to environmental changes and (5) slowing down of the food system due to the degradation of the basic ESs responsible for food production in terms of soil fertility, water availability and regulation, pollination and so forth [3,4,5,6,7,8] In addition to these impacts, in the case of the Madrid region (centre Spain), there has been a reduced economic weight of the agrarian sector in the territorial economy, together with a discredit of the profession, difficulties in land access for new farmers, a lack of training programs or education opportunities, a lack of a culture of innovation, an individualistic mindset, a disconnect among agents in the food value chain and a lack of integration with other sectors (e.g., tourism, health, environment and education) [9,10]. It is essential to rebalance territorial relations between the countryside and the city and between local communities and their surrounding agricultural landscapes, with farming activities following agroecological principles being a potential connector
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