Abstract: MACSUR’s foremost charge is improving the methodology for integrative inter-disciplinary modelling of European agriculture. In addition to technical changes, improvements include the involvement of stakeholders for setting research priorities, scenarios (if-then evaluations), and model parameters to more realistic or region-specific values. The Knowledge Hub currently brings together 300 members from 18 countries and has generated 300 scientific papers, over 500 presentations and 20 workshops and conferences within the first three years. Scientific results are communicated in conferences and workshops, where policymakers take part by invitation or because of professional interest. These events also provide opportunities for direct dialogues between policy­makers and scientists. The primary form of output of the research network is scientific publications that are cited in policy documents by relevant administrative depart­ments, ministries, intergovern­mental agencies, and directorate-generals, and non-governmental interest groups. MACSUR members also contribute directly to policy documents as authors, e.g. the EEA’s indicator report on CC impacts or the IPCC’s 5th assessment report’s chapter on food security.

Abstract: The report presented here provides an inventory of reports and conference papers  produced by the partners of the livestock and grassland modelling theme (LiveM) of the  Modelling European Agriculture with Climate Change for Food Security (MACSUR)  knowledge hub. The findings presented illustrate the diverse nature of the multidisciplinary  LiveM research community, and provide a reference source for those seeking  to identify and pull out farm-level modelling outputs from the work of MACSUR and its  partners. The survey of farm-scale outputs from LiveM revealed the interdependent, dual  role of a knowledge hub: to increase the capacity of modelling to meet stakeholder and  societal needs under climate change, and to apply that increased capacity to provide new  understanding and solutions at the policy and (the focus here) farm scale. While capacity  building work across disciplines is time-consuming, difficult, and to a large extent invisible  to stakeholders, such work is vital to ensuring that subsequent scientific outcomes reflect  best practice, and integrated expertise. Long term, sustained funding of network-based  capacity building activities is highlighted as essential to ensuring that the farm-scale  modelling work highlighted here can continue to build on ongoing improvements in model  quality, flexibility and stakeholder relevance.

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to assess the status and priorities for future development in modelling of the impacts of animal health on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also aimed to facilitate communication between experimental researchers and modellers by defining a list of parameters that are needed to model livestock health and disease, and the impact of health conditions on GHG emissions. The summary presented here provides a brief overview of ongoing work, which the L2.1/L2.2 partners, with support from the Global Research Alliance Animal Health Network (GRA AHN), is currently developing into a paper for publication in a peer reviewed journal.