Approaches

Fruit trees under biodynamic agricultural management in southern Spain [Spain]

Biodynamic agriculture in southern Spain

approaches_2689 - Spain

Completeness: 100%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Key resource person(s)

land user:

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)
Interactive Soil Quality assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural productivity and Environmental Resilience (EU-iSQAPER)
Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)
Agrochesmistry and Environment Department, University Miguel Hernandez (UMH) - Spain

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

05/05/2017

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

Application of 'Preparation 500' in agricultural soils under a biodynamic management
technologies

Application of 'Preparation 500' in agricultural soils under … [Spain]

Application of 'preparation number 500', commonly known as cow horn manure. Preparation 500 is made by filling a cow's horn with cow dung, and burying it in the soil during the cooler months to turn into dark humus. This is then sprayed up to four times a year over the …

  • Compiler: Alicia Morugán-Coronado

2. Description of the SLM Approach

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Biodynamic farming is a method of farming that aims to treat the farm as a living system, based on the application of specific organic preparations which stimulate the natural functions of the farm soils and provide the necessary component towards a self-sustaining agro-ecological farm management.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Biodynamic farming is a method of farming that aims to treat the farm as a living system, based on a holistic, ecological and ethical approach. The goal is to create a farm system that is minimally dependent on imported materials. The main objective is to prepare the soil as a self-sustaining agro-ecosystem.
Generally, this approach aims to establish biodynamic agricultural management in flat peaches orchards and keep environmental sustainability in Jumilla, Murcia region (Spain).
Its specific objectives are:
(1) To enhance the agricultural production in the region and worldwide.
(2) To develop the orchard into a self-sustaining agro-ecosystem.
(3) To improve product quality and market opportunities.
Stages of implementation: (1) Changing the agricultural management of an inherited conventional orchard into more sustainable practices (2) Getting eco-labelling to sale organic food products in European markets (3) Constant improvement and maintanence practices to improve soil fertility and productivity (4) Changing to biodynamic agricultural land and obtain the certification to sell the product worldwide (5) Monitoring and evaluation including operation and maintenance.
The land user remarks that the orchard's productivity and the response against the plagues improved after the establishment of this approach, but the lack of funding makes the implement process so difficult.
Role of stakeholders:
Family members:
1. Support in management practices maintenance.
2. Help the land user in pruning, planting and harvesting time.
Demeter (International organization in biodynamics agricultural management)
1. Orchard certification.
2. Provide technical support and assistance in biodynamic agricultural management maintenance.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.4 Videos of the Approach

Comments, short description:

Preparation 501 (commonly know as Horn Silica) is one of the preparations included in biodynamic agriculture, this preparation is based on the sprayament on the aerial parts of trees during their growth phase, this preparation focuse on promoting vigourosity and reducing susceptibility to diseases. It is made of crushed powdered quartz prepared by stuffing it into a horn of a cow and buried into the ground in spring and taken out in autumn.

Date:

05/05/2017

Location:

Jumilla

Name of videographer:

Alicia Morugán Coronado

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

Country:

Spain

Region/ State/ Province:

Murcia

Further specification of location:

Jumilla

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

Indicate year of initiation:

2014

2.7 Type of Approach

  • recent local initiative/ innovative

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

To achieve a self-sustaining agro-ecosystem.
To improve the quality of soil.
To improve the soil fertility.
To enhance the product quality.
To increase the global consumer demand for organic food.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

availability/ access to financial resources and services
  • hindering

No financing and monetary help.

collaboration/ coordination of actors
  • enabling

Consulting, counselling, formation, distribution, selling and advertisement of product.

policies
  • enabling

Biodynamics agriculture regulation.
http://www.demeter.es/normativa

knowledge about SLM, access to technical support
  • enabling

The international biodynamics association advice directly to farmer (Demeter).

markets (to purchase inputs, sell products) and prices
  • enabling

Sales guaranteed in 100%

workload, availability of manpower
  • enabling

Decreasement in manpower

3. Participation and roles of stakeholders involved

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

  • local land users/ local communities

Antonio García Vargas

Farm user and owner.

  • community-based organizations

Family organization

Support as farm staff

  • SLM specialists/ agricultural advisers

Management skills training (MST) advisor

Advice in agricultural management and technical support in biodynamic preparations.

  • researchers

Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura (cebas) - CSIC
Agroquímica y Medio Ambiente - Universidad Miguel Hernandez

Soil quality evolution and innovative irrigation technics.

  • international organization

Demeter advisors

Biodynamic agricultural management advice and evaluations

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
Involvement of local land users/ local communities Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation self-mobilization http://www.frutasvargas.com/ Farmer user and his brothers inhertited a grapevine with conventional agricultural management. Farmer user took the decision to convert the conventional land to sustainable management.
planning external support http://www.demeter.es The grapevine land changed to flat peaches trees orchard with the demeter advisors monitoring.
implementation external support http://www.demeter.es Demeter gives the certification to sell the product like biodynamic product family in markets.
monitoring/ evaluation external support http://www.demeter.es To maintain the biodynamic certification the international organization Demeter makes exhaustive control.

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

Description:

Evolution of study plot

Author:

Alicia Morugán Coronado

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:
  • mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists
Specify on what basis decisions were made:
  • personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

4. Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:
  • field staff/ advisers
Form of training:
  • farmer-to-farmer
  • demonstration areas
Subjects covered:

University students groups visited the fruit orchard to learn more about the biodynamic agricultural management.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:
  • on land users' fields
Describe/ comments:

Two times per year Demeter advisors visit the fruit orchard to evaluate the biodynamic agricultural management.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?
  • yes, greatly
Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:
  • regional
  • national
Describe institution, roles and responsibilities, members, etc.

1ª FERIA DE AGRICULTURA BIODINAMICA DE ALBACETE (29 de abril de 2017)

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

Demeter is the responsible of maintain the biodynamic certification annually, monitoring and evaluation of the management from land user and two times per year Demeter advisors is needed to be re-certified every year.

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

No

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:
  • economics / marketing
  • ecology
Give further details and indicate who did the research:

CEBAS-CSIC is a national research institution that used this biodynamic orchard to irrigation innovatives technologies.
http://www.cebas.csic.es/dep_spain/riego/riego_publi_2017.html

5. Financing and external material support

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:
  • 10,000-100,000
Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

The budget comes from the sales of production in regional, national and international markets. The annual budget is self-financed, there is no external financing.

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

No

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

  • none
 
If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:
  • paid in cash

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

Yes

Specify conditions (interest rate, payback, etc.):

Individual bank loan

Specify credit providers:

Bank

Specify credit receivers:

Frutas Vargas

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

No

6. Impact analysis and concluding statements

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

Did the Approach empower local land users, improve stakeholder participation?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Implementation of innovative technologies in soil irrigation.

Did the Approach enable evidence-based decision-making?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Thanks to the approach constant enhancement in biodynamic management is working.

Did the Approach help land users to implement and maintain SLM Technologies?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

The approach facilitates the implementation and maintenance of SLM technology in order to increase the product quality.

Did the Approach improve coordination and cost-effective implementation of SLM?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Benefits were observed inmediately after approach implementation.

Did the Approach improve knowledge and capacities of land users to implement SLM?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Yes, the constant improvement and modifcations of the biodynamic agricultural management increases the land users agricultural knowledge.

Did the Approach improve knowledge and capacities of other stakeholders?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Yes, the land user gives advice to other farmers.

Did the Approach build/ strengthen institutions, collaboration between stakeholders?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

The approach facilitates the collaboration with several organizations and research institutions.

Did the Approach lead to improved food security/ improved nutrition?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Yes, the approach is focused on improving the product quality following a biodynamic soil management.

Did the Approach improve access to markets?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Yes, all the product is sold in regional, national and worldwide market.

Did the Approach lead to more sustainable use/ sources of energy?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Yes, the biodynamic soil and product management is the main objective of this approach.

Did the Approach lead to employment, income opportunities?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

The approach lead to market opportunities.

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

  • increased profit(ability), improved cost-benefit-ratio

More price in the product.

  • affiliation to movement/ project/ group/ networks

Biodynamic movement

  • environmental consciousness

Biodynamic soil management improves the ecosystem.

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?
  • yes
If yes, describe how:

The farmer implements the approach with some economic difficulties: the certification process is very expensive, the land user pays all the expenses of Demeter advisors when they visit the farm two times per year to evaluate the management. Furthermore, in order to save money in buying the costly biodynamic preparations every year, the land user decided to do the biodynamic preparations in his farm by himself.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Improvement in crop production and sales oportunities.
Sustainable farming improves the plant function and response against plagues.
Greater social recognition and money income.
Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Reduction of soil degradation.
Enhancement of soil fertility.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view How can they be overcome?
The implementation process requires an excessive investment of money More production to overcome this costs.
Exhaustive training in biodynamic management to implement this practice More practice in the biodynamic preparation is needed.
Exhaustive external control to be validated as biodynamic agricultural management The land user make external links with research institutions in soil quality evolution.
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view How can they be overcome?
Important reliance on sales production income to cope with all the expenses to maintain the certification yearly. More production to overcome this costs.

7. References and links

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

  • field visits, field surveys

2

  • interviews with land users

1

  • interviews with SLM specialists/ experts

2

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

no

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Web page

URL:

http://www.frutasvargas.com/

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