Sustainability of Agro-Environmental Practices and Agroforestry Systems

The development and intensification of agricultural activities in recent decades were necessary in order to meet the food needs of a growing world population. To limit environmental problems, initiatives have been implemented in a number of countries encouraging farmers to adopt agro-environmental practices (AEPs) - agricultural methods designed to reduce potential negative impacts on the environment - and to establish agro-wildlife habitats (AWHs) on their farms.

Moreover, these practices and habitats contribute directly to enhancing the ecological connectivity of the landscape, which is recognized as an effective approach to climate change adaptation for the conservation of biodiversity. However, while the advantages of AEPs and AWHs have been well documented, their long-term sustainability is uncertain

• Understand whether the AWHs created by planting trees in agricultural areas in Québec become natural corridors used by wildlife, and determine what types of habitats (e.g. windbreaks, riparian buffer zones, wooded corridors) are the most conducive to animal biodiversity;

• Determine whether the models used for network design and the establishment of AWHs are realistic;

• Study the behaviour and perceptions of farmers and agricultural stakeholders to understand the factors affecting both the implementation and the durability of AEPs and AWHs.

• Conduct wildlife surveys of 15 focal species in AWHs;

• Compare wildlife survey data in the field with predictive models for natural corridor use and improve the analytical and predictive capabilities of ecological connectivity assessment models;

• Perform a literature review and an institutional analysis of recurring success factors in the establishment of AEPs and AWHs;

• Carry out semi-structured interviews with actors on local (e.g. farmers, agronomists, municipal and regional policy-makers) and provincial (e.g. ministries, UPA, order of agronomists) levels;

• Conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of AEPs in agricultural areas.

Through its interdisciplinary nature, this study brought to light significant challenges to promoting the adoption and sustainability of agro-environmental practices (AEP) and agroforestry systems (AFS) in Québec. First, the project documented the dispersal behaviour of various wildlife species in agricultural environments and provided a better understanding of their responses to the perturbations imposed by intensive agriculture.

The results of the ecological component of the study indicate that AFS in dynamic agricultural environments play an essential role in wildlife movement. In addition to increasing the wildlife movement area in agricultural environments, such landscape features provide an array of ecological services such as carbon sequestration, watercourse protection, pollination, etc.

As a result, several recommendations emerge from this project:

• Maintain and protect existing AFS;

• Limit human intervention within AFS;

• Ensure that AFS are planted with good tree cover;

• Provide longer-term monitoring of funded AFS;

• Carry out behavioural ecology research to better understand the effect of AFS on biodiversity

The socioeconomic component of the study showed that several factors influence the implementation and sustainability of AEPs in Québec. Farmers must comply with numerous conditions in order to benefit from financial aid programs related to AEP.

This rigidity suggests that uptake depends not only on intrinsic motivation of farmers, or extrinsic motivation offered by incentives, but on farmers’ ability to comply with support program criteria. Furthermore, agro-environmental advisors play a central role (knowledge transmission, administrative support, stakeholder mobilization) in the success of agro-environmental initiatives.

Finally, the case study provided an initial look at the socio-ecological issues surrounding intensive agriculture in the Lac Saint-Pierre floodplain in the presence of multiple environmental pressures and various collective actions, including initiatives for the conservation and restoration of wildlife habitats.

Camera trap in an agroforestry system (AFS) in an agricultural area

The identification of social perceptions surrounding agriculture-wildlife management issues is a starting point for promoting dialogue between the parties.

Thus, to encourage better AEP uptake among farmers, the following recommendations are made:

• Engage farmers and regional authorities in agro-environmental decision-making processes;

• Introduce greater flexibility in agro-environmental support programs;

• Review and facilitate the emergence of collective agro-environmental action approaches;

• Promote cross-sector agro-environmental initiatives;

• Ensure social equity in the conservation of natural resources in agricultural areas;

• Increase stakeholder participation in the management of natural resource in the broadest sense.

• Université Sherbrooke

• McGill University

• Union des producteurs agricoles

• Ministère des Forêts, Faune et Parcs

• Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

• David Suzuki Foundation

• Mouvement de la Ceinture Verte

• Nature-Action Québec