Transformation for sustainable nutrient supply and management.

The project “Transformation for Sustainable Nutrient Supply and Management” (trans4num) aspires to substantiate and broadly promote Nature-Based Solution (NBS) innovations for sustainable agriculture in Europe and China. In particular, trans4num will focus on nutrient management—such as bio-based nutrient sources, sustainable crop rotations, and optimization of nutrient flows.

The project will: 1) develop a differentiated understanding of NBS potentials for achieving sustainable agricultural practices, 2) study the complexities of applying NBS, 3) develop a dynamic and smart nutrient management tool to support regional decision-making for optimum nutrient supply, and 4) assess the (net) impact of technological and social innovations as well as policies related to NBS.

To achieve these objectives, trans4num will apply a Social-Ecological Transformation (SET) framework tailored to investigate 20 NBS farm-level innovations across 7 regions with intensive farming systems. The project will adopt a multi-actor approach to consider various societal concerns and interests surrounding NBS in agricultural nutrient management and to identify promising transformation pathways for social innovations that encourage wider acceptance and adoption of NBS.

Over the course of four years, trans4num will bring together experience, expertise, and knowledge from 22 partners across Europe and China. It will employ a diverse set of methods and formats—such as farmer discussion groups, stakeholder panels, and hackathons—to enhance the prospects for implementing NBS.

The project's results are expected to contribute to the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and Zero Pollution ambition strategies, as well as to China’s policy goals under the 14th Five-Year Planning for Green Agriculture Development strategy, especially in the areas of pollution reduction and N/P emission control.