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Van den Pol-van Dasselaar, A., Bellocchi, G., Hutchings, N., Olesen, J., & Saetnan, E. (2014). AnimalChange. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: The EU-FP7 project AnimalChange (AN Integration of Mitigation and Adaptation options for sustainable Livestock production under climate CHANGE, http://www.animalchange.eu, 2011-2015) addresses mitigation and adaptation options and provides scientific guidance for their integration in sustainable development pathways for livestock production under climate change in Europe, Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. The project provides insights, innovations, tools and models for livestock production incorporating socio-economic and environmental (particularly GHG emission) variables. Scenario studies are carried out at scales ranging from animal and pasture, to farm and to region, for given management options. A wide range of livestock production systems is included in the project. The core analytical spine of the project is a series of coupled biophysical and socio-economic models combined with experimentation. This allows exploring future scenarios for the livestock sector under baseline and atmospheric CO2 stabilization scenarios. These scenarios are first constructed and then elaborated and enriched by breakthrough mitigation and adaptation options at field and animal scales, integrated and evaluated at farm scale and finally used to assess policy options and their socio-economic consequences. The modelling results are useful for governments, agricultural and food industry and the agricultural sector (farmers). There are many synergies between the European activities of AnimalChange and those of the LiveM theme of MACSUR, in particular with respect to access to livestock production datasets, dialogue with stakeholders and comparison and integration of grassland and livestock models with crop and socio-economic models in pilot studies at a variety of scales.
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Scollan, N., Bannink, A., Kipling, R., Saetnan, E., & Van Middelkoop, J. (2015). Livestock and feed production, especially dairy and beef. In FACCE MACSUR Reports (Vol. 6, pp. Sp6–3). Brussels.
Abstract: Improving health and welfare is an important adaptation and mitigation strategyDeveloping process based modelling, responsive to adaptationLinks to climate and land use change modelling are essential Livestock systems likely to be hit hardest by climate changeNeed to develop animal health models that respond to adaptation by farmersBringing together direct and indirect impacts of climate change vitalAdaptation and mitigation need to be considered and modelled togetherLinking models across scales is important to support policy decisionsLearning between sectors carries potential for novel solutions and methodological advancesEffective communication of outcomes to stakeholders (how?) No Label
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Saetnan, E. R., & Veneman, J. B. (2014). MitiGate: an On-line Meta-Analysis Database of Mitigation Strategies for Enteric Methane Emissions. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: The animal science sector has seen a proliferation of potential mitigation strategies, aimed at tackling emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminant livestock production. By bringing together data from studies on the many mitigation options available through a structured meta-analytical approach, it is possible to evaluate the overall mitigation potential for these broad strategies as well as exploring the many factors influencing the potential of CH4 mitigation strategies. Such quantification of the different mitigation strategies will allow for better estimation of mitigation potential on different levels (animal, farm and sector scale) in modelling efforts. Also quantification is important to determine the strategies that show the best potential in lowering methane emissions and hence can be instrumental in policy recommendations. A database has been established through an initial extensive structured search of published literature on the topic. For each relevant paper identified, a range of meta-data have been extracted including information on the study design, mitigation strategy, animal husbandry, diet and methane emissions. By creating a database with multiple levels of moderator coding, we have provided a flexible platform for future meta-analyses at many levels of aggregation. Studies can then in future be aggregated at the level most appropriate for specific modelling or policy recommendations. This comprehensive database is being made available on-line through a user-friendly web interface. The web-site provides a facility for open access to the database, as well as future updates of the database as more research is published on the topic.
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Saetnan, E. R., & Kipling, R. P. (2016). Evaluating a European knowledge hub on climate change in agriculture: Are we building a better connected community. Scientometrics, 109(2), 1057–1074.
Abstract: In order to maintain food security and sustainability of production under climate change, interdisciplinary and international collaboration in research is essential. In the EU, knowledge hubs are important funding instruments for the development of an interconnected European Research Area. Here, network analysis was used to assess whether the pilot knowledge hub MACSUR has affected interdisciplinary collaboration, using co-authorship of peer reviewed articles as a measure of collaboration. The broad community of all authors identified as active in the field of agriculture and climate change was increasingly well connected over the period studied. Between knowledge hub members, changes in network parameters suggest an increase in collaborative interaction beyond that expected due to network growth, and greater than that found in the broader community. Given that interdisciplinary networks often take several years to have an impact on research outputs, these changes within the relatively new MACSUR community provide evidence that the knowledge hub structure has been effective in stimulating collaboration. However, analysis showed that knowledge hub partners were initially well-connected, suggesting that the initiative may have gathered together researchers with particular resources or inclinations towards collaborative working. Long term, consistent funding and ongoing reflection to improve networking structures may be necessary to sustain the early positive signs from MACSUR, to extend its success to a wider community of researchers, or to repeat it in less connected fields of science. Tackling complex challenges such as climate change will require research structures that can effectively support and utilise the diversity of talents beyond the already well-connected core of scientists at major research institutes. But network research shows that this core, well-connected group are vital brokers in achieving wider integration.
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Saetnan, E. R. (2015). Capacity building strategy (Vol. 7).
Abstract: Introduction Raising the capacity of established researchers Capacity for cross-theme collaboration Short “Master Classes” Raising the capacity of early career researchers PhD/ECR training courses Training integrative and international modellers through a Marie Curie ITN Raising the capacity of our stakeholders MACSUR input to the Advanced Training Partnership (ATP)
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