Research as a guidance for future actions Aline Lapierre – Grignon Energie Positive AgroParisTech - France

Grignon Energie Positive (GE+) : a farm-level applied research program – Applied research program on the whole farm system, initiated in 2006, extended in 2010, – Alliance of various partners around a common project : industrials, cooperatives, interbranches, banks, regional authorities, technical institutes, public establishments, – Involvement of research key stakeholders (INRA*). * INRA : French national institute for agricultural research

GE+ objective and values – What are the possible and desirable adjustments of milk production to face the fossil fuel scarcity and global warming issues ? – Two lines of work : – Demonstration & innovation – Positive communication – Three analysis axes for milk production performance. Energy consumptions GHG emissions Farm food performance Revenues Energy consumption and GHG emissions of 100/ 440 persons. Vs 7500/9500 persons potentially fed

Farms involved in the program (1/2) the Grignon farm – Near Paris, the Grignon farm is at the heart of the program between 2006 and Mixed farming system : 130 dairy cows, 350 hectares (cereals, maize, forage crops and pastures) Milk processing on farm (Grignon yoghurt) An educational resource opened to a wide audience An exceptional framework of education for talented students and research

Farms involved in the program (2/2) the dairy farms network – Since 2010, the improvement process initiated in Grignon was subsequently deployed in a dozen dairy farms, making up the GE+ farms network. Mountain and piedmont, with maize Lowland > 30% maize Lowland, 10-30% maize Lowland, grassland GE+ farms distribution and profile (2011) :

The GE+ approach – GE+ is based on a long-term monitoring of farm performances : – Initial diagnosis of the farm, identification of key actions to improve the environmental performances of milk production (with a modeling tool), – Implementation of the identified key actions at the farm, – 3 year-long monitoring of the milk production environmental (GHG and energy consumption) results.

Evolution of GHG score for milk production at Grignon (in g CO 2 e/ liter of milk) : Significant results – After four years, significant results are produced : – Improvement is possible, – Various solutions exist, according to the system considered, – Improving the environmental impact may match with high- productivity systems. Some solutions implemented in Grignon :

Close evaluation of environmental impact – With its own applied research instruments, GE+ program includes the measurement of real “in situ” impact factors. Field measurement of N 2 O emissions with a static chamber (Grignon, 2009) GHG score of milk production according to the impact factor considered for soil direct N 2 O emissions (in g CO 2 e/ liter of milk) : - 50g CO 2 e

Communication and education – Information campaigns to both professionals and students are performed : – “Positive agriculture meetings”, technical training to farmers, – Academic training on environmental issues of agriculture to students (AgroParistech engineering school).

Positive communication – GE+ aims at reconnecting agriculture to society by: – Promoting modern agriculture to general public, – Explaining the mechanisms underlying environmental issues (to children), – Raising people’s awareness of progress routes for agriculture. Examples of educational tools developed and broadcasted by GE+ teams : the “Positive farm “ model and the game “good on my plate, for me and my planet!”

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