Archive detail

Resolving conflicts between agriculture and protection of aquatic ecosystems

February 24, 2016 | Andres Jordi

In Switzerland, conflicts between the societal goals of agricultural production and protection of waterbodies arise in particular with regard to rehabilitation measures, nutrient management and ecological compensation areas. These were the conclusions of a project entitled “Water-friendly agriculture for the future”, recently completed by researchers from Eawag, the Federal Office for Agriculture and the Agroscope research centre. In the study, multiple-criteria decision analysis was used to assess the potential for optimization of both agricultural production and protection of water resources. Research gaps were identified in relation to pesticide use, soil management, erosion control and hydrological connectivity.