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Conventional, intensively managed coffee plantations are currently facing environmental challenges. The use of shade trees and the organic management of coffee crops are welcome alternatives, aiming to reduce synthetic inputs and restore soil biological balance. However, little is known about the impacts of the different types of shade tree species on soil functioning and fauna. In this paper, we assess soil nutrient availability and food web structure on a 17-year old experimental coffee plantation in Turrialba in Costa Rica. Three shade types (unshaded coffee, shaded with Terminalia amazonia, and shaded with Erythrina poepiggiana) combined with two management practices (organic and conventional) were evaluated. Total C and N, inorganic N and Olsen P content, soil pH, global soil fertility, and nematode and microarthropod communities were measured in the top 10 cm soil layer, with the objective of determining how shade tree species impact the soil food web and soil C, N and P cycling under different types of management. We noted a decrease in soil inorganic N content and nematode density under conventional management (respectively -47% and -91% compared to organic management), which suggested an important biological imbalance, possibly caused by the lack of organic amendment. Under conventional management, soil nutrient availability and fauna densities were higher under shade, regardless of the shade tree species. Under organic management, only soils under E. poeppigiana, a heavily pruned. N-2 -fixing species, had increased nutrient availability and fauna density, while T amazonia shade had a null or negative impact. The effects of coffee management and shade type on soil nutrient availability were mirrored by changes in soil food web structure. Higher fertility was recorded in soil with balanced food webs. These results emphasize the importance of the choice of shade tree species for soil functions in low input systems, more so than in fertilized systems

Treated wood is frequently used for construction. However, there is a need to ensure that biocides used for the treatment are not a threat for people or environment. The paper focused on Pinus sylvestris treated with copper-boron-azole (CBA), containing tebuconazole as organic biocide and monoethanolamine (Mea). This study investigates chemical mechanisms of fixation and mobilisation involved in the leaching process of the used inorganic and organic biocides in CBA. A pH dependent leaching test was performed, followed by a set of complementary analysis methods in order to identify and quantify the species released from wood. The main findings of this study are: - Organic compounds are released from untreated and treated wood; the quantity of released total organic carbon, carboxylic and phenolic functions increasing with the pH. - Nitrogen containing compounds, i.e. mainly Mea and its reaction products with extractives, are released in important quantities from CBA treated wood, especially at low pH. - The release of copper is the result of competitive reactions: fixation via complexation reactions and complexation with extractives in the liquid phase. The specific pH dependency of Cu leaching is explained by the competition of ligands for protonation and complexation. - Tebuconazole is released to a lesser extent relative to its initial content. Its fixation on solid wood structure seems to be influenced by pH, suggesting interactions with -OH groups on wood. Boron release appears to be pH independent and very high. This confirms its weak fixation on wood and also no or weak interaction with the extractives. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treated wood is frequently used for construction. However, there is a need to ensure that biocides used for the treatment are not a threat for people or environment. The paper focused on Pinus sylvestris treated with copper-boron-azole (CBA), containing tebuconazole as organic biocide and monoethanolamine (Mea). This study investigates chemical mechanisms of fixation and mobilisation involved in the leaching process of the used inorganic and organic biocides in CBA. A pH dependent leaching test was performed, followed by a set of complementary analysis methods in order to identify and quantify the species released from wood. The main findings of this study are: - Organic compounds are released from untreated and treated wood; the quantity of released total organic carbon, carboxylic and phenolic functions increasing with the pH. - Nitrogen containing compounds, i.e. mainly Mea and its reaction products with extractives, are released in important quantities from CBA treated wood, especially at low pH. - The release of copper is the result of competitive reactions: fixation via complexation reactions and complexation with extractives in the liquid phase. The specific pH dependency of Cu leaching is explained by the competition of ligands for protonation and complexation. - Tebuconazole is released to a lesser extent relative to its initial content. Its fixation on solid wood structure seems to be influenced by pH, suggesting interactions with -OH groups on wood. Boron release appears to be pH independent and very high. This confirms its weak fixation on wood and also no or weak interaction with the extractives. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: Diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) mainly comes from animal-sourced foods. As progressive changes are more acceptable for a sustainable food transition, we aimed to identify nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable optimized diets ensuring a gradual reduction in GHGe, using observed diet from a large sample of French adults, while considering the mode of food production (organic vs conventional farming) and the co-production link between milk and beef. Material and method: Based on the consumption of 257 organic and conventional foods among 29,413 participants (75% women, age: 53.5±14.0y) of the NutriNet-Santé study, we modelled optimal diets according to GHGe reduction scenarios in 5% steps, from 0 to 50% with nutritional, acceptability, and coproduct constraints, for men, premenopausal and menopausal women separately. Results: Gradual GHGe decrease under these constraints led to optimal diets with an overall decrease in animal foods, with marked reductions in dairy products (up to-83%), together with a stable but largely redistributed meat consumption in favor of poultry (up to +182%) and pork (up to +46%) and at the expense of ruminant meat (down to-92%). Amounts of legumes increases dramatically (up to +238%). The greater the reduction in diet-related GHGe, the lower the cumulative energy demand (about-25%) and land use (about-43%). The proportion of organic food increased from ~30% in the observed diets to ~70% in the optimized diets. Conclusion: Our results suggest that meeting both nutrient reference value and environmental objectives of up to 50% GHGe reduction requires the reduction of animal foods together with important substitutions between animal food groups, which result in drastic reductions in beef and dairy products. Further research is required to explore alignment with long-term health value and conflict with acceptability, in particular for even greater GHGe reductions.

Background: Diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) mainly comes from animal-sourced foods. As progressive changes are more acceptable for a sustainable food transition, we aimed to identify nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable optimized diets ensuring a gradual reduction in GHGe, using observed diet from a large sample of French adults, while considering the mode of food production (organic vs conventional farming) and the co-production link between milk and beef. Material and method: Based on the consumption of 257 organic and conventional foods among 29,413 participants (75% women, age: 53.5±14.0y) of the NutriNet-Santé study, we modelled optimal diets according to GHGe reduction scenarios in 5% steps, from 0 to 50% with nutritional, acceptability, and coproduct constraints, for men, premenopausal and menopausal women separately. Results: Gradual GHGe decrease under these constraints led to optimal diets with an overall decrease in animal foods, with marked reductions in dairy products (up to-83%), together with a stable but largely redistributed meat consumption in favor of poultry (up to +182%) and pork (up to +46%) and at the expense of ruminant meat (down to-92%). Amounts of legumes increases dramatically (up to +238%). The greater the reduction in diet-related GHGe, the lower the cumulative energy demand (about-25%) and land use (about-43%). The proportion of organic food increased from ~30% in the observed diets to ~70% in the optimized diets. Conclusion: Our results suggest that meeting both nutrient reference value and environmental objectives of up to 50% GHGe reduction requires the reduction of animal foods together with important substitutions between animal food groups, which result in drastic reductions in beef and dairy products. Further research is required to explore alignment with long-term health value and conflict with acceptability, in particular for even greater GHGe reductions.

The implication of neonicotinoids in bee declines led in 2013 to an EU moratorium on three neonicotinoids in bee-attractive crops. However, neonicotinoids are frequently detected in wild flowers or untreated crops suggesting that neonicotinoids applied to cereals can spread into the environment and harm bees. Therefore, we quantified neonicotinoid residues in nectar from winter-sown oilseed rape in western France collected within the five years under the EU moratorium. We detected all three restricted neonicotinoids. Imidacloprid was detected in all years with no clear declining trend but a strong inter- and intra-annual variation and maximum concentrations exceeding reported concentrations in treated crops. No relation to non-organic winter-sown cereals was identified even though these were the only crops treated with imidacloprid, but residue levels depended on soil type and increased with rainfall. Simulating acute and chronic mortality suggests a considerable risk for nectar foraging bees. We conclude that persistent imidacloprid soil residues diffuse on a large-scale in the environment and substantially contaminate a major mass-flowering crop. Despite the limitations of case-studies and risk simulations, our findings provide additional support to the recent extension of the moratorium to a permanent ban in all outdoor crops.

The implication of neonicotinoids in bee declines led in 2013 to an EU moratorium on three neonicotinoids in bee-attractive crops. However, neonicotinoids are frequently detected in wild flowers or untreated crops suggesting that neonicotinoids applied to cereals can spread into the environment and harm bees. Therefore, we quantified neonicotinoid residues in nectar from winter-sown oilseed rape in western France collected within the five years under the EU moratorium. We detected all three restricted neonicotinoids. Imidacloprid was detected in all years with no clear declining trend but a strong inter- and intra-annual variation and maximum concentrations exceeding reported concentrations in treated crops. No relation to non-organic winter-sown cereals was identified even though these were the only crops treated with imidacloprid, but residue levels depended on soil type and increased with rainfall. Simulating acute and chronic mortality suggests a considerable risk for nectar foraging bees. We conclude that persistent imidacloprid soil residues diffuse on a large-scale in the environment and substantially contaminate a major mass-flowering crop. Despite the limitations of case-studies and risk simulations, our findings provide additional support to the recent extension of the moratorium to a permanent ban in all outdoor crops.

Narratives of two prospective scenarios for the future of French agriculture were elaborated by pushing several trends already acting on the dynamics of the current system to their logical end. The first one pursues the opening and specialization characterizing the long-term evolution of the last 50 years of most French agricultural regions, while the second assumes a shift, already perceptible through weak signals, towards more autonomy at the farm and regional scales, a reconnection of crop and livestock farming and a more frugal human diet. A procedure is proposed to translate these qualitative narratives into a quantitative description of the corresponding nutrient fluxes using the GRAFS (Generalized Representation of Agro-Food Systems) methodology, thus allowing a comprehensive exploration of the agronomical and environmental performance of these two scenarios. The results show that the pursuit of the opening and specialization of French agriculture, even complying with regulations regarding reasoned fertilization, would result in considerable environmental burdens namely in terms of water pollution. The scenario generalizing organic farming practices, reconnection of crop and livestock farming systems and a demitarian human diet makes it possible to meet the future national food demand while still exporting significant amounts of cereals to the international market and ensuring better groundwater quality in most French regions.

Human populations are threatened by chronic exposure to the Cd accumulated in foods after being taken up from soils by crops. To decide whether and to what extent it is necessary to reduce the Cd content in cultivated soils, one needs to understand and predict its evolution. We therefore simulated the Cd mass balance in the soils under annual crops in France and in its 22 regions for the next century, following six scenarios of agricultural practices or regulatory conditions. If current cultivation practices are maintained, the average Cd content would increase by about 15% after a century, due to the input of Cd with P fertilizer applications. This represents around 85% of the soil Cd inputs and is nearly twice the Cd output caused by leaching and crop offtake. These results conflict with those recently obtained at the European level, due to three factors: the higher rate of P application in France than in Europe, a higher Cd content in the P fertilizers applied in France and a lower Cd leaching in French soils. Strict application of the good practices for P fertilization would stabilize the future soil Cd content at its present level. Assuming the current excessive P fertilization, the enforcement of a regulation limiting Cd content in the P fertilizers, as proposed by the European Union, would lead to a lesser increase in soil Cd, by 1.6% to 3.9% after a century. The combination of P fertilization good practices and Cd content limitation in P fertilizers would lead to a decrease in soil Cd content of between 3.0% to 5.2%. Organic agriculture would lead to an evolution of soil Cd content similar to that of conventional agriculture applying good practices. The accuracy of the mass balances could be ameliorated by a better assessment of Cd leaching.

Narratives of two prospective scenarios for the future of French agriculture were elaborated by pushing several trends already acting on the dynamics of the current system to their logical end. The first one pursues the opening and specialization characterizing the long-term evolution of the last 50 years of most French agricultural regions, while the second assumes a shift, already perceptible through weak signals, towards more autonomy at the farm and regional scales, a reconnection of crop and livestock farming and a more frugal human diet. A procedure is proposed to translate these qualitative narratives into a quantitative description of the corresponding nutrient fluxes using the GRAFS (Generalized Representation of Agro-Food Systems) methodology, thus allowing a comprehensive exploration of the agronomical and environmental performance of these two scenarios. The results show that the pursuit of the opening and specialization of French agriculture, even complying with regulations regarding reasoned fertilization, would result in considerable environmental burdens namely in terms of water pollution. The scenario generalizing organic farming practices, reconnection of crop and livestock farming systems and a demitarian human diet makes it possible to meet the future national food demand while still exporting significant amounts of cereals to the international market and ensuring better groundwater quality in most French regions.

Human populations are threatened by chronic exposure to the Cd accumulated in foods after being taken up from soils by crops. To decide whether and to what extent it is necessary to reduce the Cd content in cultivated soils, one needs to understand and predict its evolution. We therefore simulated the Cd mass balance in the soils under annual crops in France and in its 22 regions for the next century, following six scenarios of agricultural practices or regulatory conditions. If current cultivation practices are maintained, the average Cd content would increase by about 15% after a century, due to the input of Cd with P fertilizer applications. This represents around 85% of the soil Cd inputs and is nearly twice the Cd output caused by leaching and crop offtake. These results conflict with those recently obtained at the European level, due to three factors: the higher rate of P application in France than in Europe, a higher Cd content in the P fertilizers applied in France and a lower Cd leaching in French soils. Strict application of the good practices for P fertilization would stabilize the future soil Cd content at its present level. Assuming the current excessive P fertilization, the enforcement of a regulation limiting Cd content in the P fertilizers, as proposed by the European Union, would lead to a lesser increase in soil Cd, by 1.6% to 3.9% after a century. The combination of P fertilization good practices and Cd content limitation in P fertilizers would lead to a decrease in soil Cd content of between 3.0% to 5.2%. Organic agriculture would lead to an evolution of soil Cd content similar to that of conventional agriculture applying good practices. The accuracy of the mass balances could be ameliorated by a better assessment of Cd leaching.

Narratives of two prospective scenarios for the future of French agriculture were elaborated by pushing several trends already acting on the dynamics of the current system to their logical end. The first one pursues the opening and specialization characterizing the long-term evolution of the last 50 years of most French agricultural regions, while the second assumes a shift, already perceptible through weak signals, towards more autonomy at the farm and regional scales, a reconnection of crop and livestock farming and a more frugal human diet. A procedure is proposed to translate these qualitative narratives into a quantitative description of the corresponding nutrient fluxes using the GRAFS (Generalized Representation of Agro-Food Systems) methodology, thus allowing a comprehensive exploration of the agronomical and environmental performance of these two scenarios. The results show that the pursuit of the opening and specialization of French agriculture, even complying with regulations regarding reasoned fertilization, would result in considerable environmental burdens namely in terms of water pollution. The scenario generalizing organic farming practices, reconnection of crop and livestock farming systems and a demitarian human diet makes it possible to meet the future national food demand while still exporting significant amounts of cereals to the international market and ensuring better groundwater quality in most French regions.

Narratives of two prospective scenarios for the future of French agriculture were elaborated by pushing several trends already acting on the dynamics of the current system to their logical end. The first one pursues the opening and specialization characterizing the long-term evolution of the last 50 years of most French agricultural regions, while the second assumes a shift, already perceptible through weak signals, towards more autonomy at the farm and regional scales, a reconnection of crop and livestock farming and a more frugal human diet. A procedure is proposed to translate these qualitative narratives into a quantitative description of the corresponding nutrient fluxes using the GRAFS (Generalized Representation of Agro-Food Systems) methodology, thus allowing a comprehensive exploration of the agronomical and environmental performance of these two scenarios. The results show that the pursuit of the opening and specialization of French agriculture, even complying with regulations regarding reasoned fertilization, would result in considerable environmental burdens namely in terms of water pollution. The scenario generalizing organic farming practices, reconnection of crop and livestock farming systems and a demitarian human diet makes it possible to meet the future national food demand while still exporting significant amounts of cereals to the international market and ensuring better groundwater quality in most French regions.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to assess environmental sustainability of products. The LCA should optimally cover the most important environmental impact categories such as climate change, eutrophication and biodiversity. However, impacts on biodiversity are seldom included in LCAs due to methodological limitations and lack of appropriate characterization factors. When assessing organic agricultural products the omission of biodiversity in LCA is problematic, because organic systems are characterized by higher species richness at field level compared to the conventional systems. Thus, there is a need for characterization factors to estimate land use impacts on biodiversity in life cycle assessment that are able to distinguish between organic and conventional agricultural land use that can be used to supplement and validate the few currently suggested characterization factors. Based on a unique dataset derived from field recording of plant species diversity in farmland across six European countries, the present study provides new midpoint occupation Characterization Factors (CF) expressing the Potentially Disappeared Fraction (PDF) to estimate land use impacts on biodiversity in the 'Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forest' biome in Europe. The method is based on calculation of plant species on randomly selected test sites in the biome and enables the calculation of characterization factors that are sensitive to particular types of management. While species richness differs between countries, the calculated CFs are able to distinguish between different land use types (pastures (monocotyledons or mixed), arable land and hedges) and management practices (organic or conventional production systems) across countries. The new occupation CFs can be used to supplement or validate the few current CF's and can be applied in LCAs of agricultural products to assess land use impacts on species richness in the 'Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forest' biome.

Fresh produce has been a growing cause of food borne outbreaks world-wide prompting the need for safer production practices. Yet fresh produce agrifood systems are diverse and under constraints for more sustainability. We analyze how measures taken to guarantee safety interact with other objectives for sustainability, in light of the diversity of fresh produce agrifood systems. The review is based on the publications at the interface between fresh produce safety and sustainability, with sustainability defined by low environmental impacts, food and nutrition security and healthy life. The paths for more sustainable fresh produce are diverse. They include an increased use of ecosystemservices to e.g. favor predators of pests, or to reduce impact of floods, to reduce soil erosion, or to purify run-off waters. In contrast, they also include production systems isolated from the environment. From a socio-economical view, sustainability may imply maintaining small tenures with a higher risk of pathogen contamination.We analyzed the consequences for produce safety by focusing on risks of contamination by water, soil, environment and live stocks. Climate change may increase the constraints and recent knowledge on interactions between produce and human pathogens may bring new solutions. Existing technologies may suffice to resolve some conflicts between ensuring safety of fresh produce and moving towards more sustainability. However, socio-economic constraints of some agri-food systems may prevent their implementation. In addition, current strategies to preserve produce safety are not adapted to systems relying on ecological principles and knowledge is lacking to develop the new risk management approaches that would be needed.

Fresh produce has been a growing cause of food borne outbreaks world-wide prompting the need for safer production practices. Yet fresh produce agrifood systems are diverse and under constraints for more sustainability. We analyze how measures taken to guarantee safety interact with other objectives for sustainability, in light of the diversity of fresh produce agrifood systems. The review is based on the publications at the interface between fresh produce safety and sustainability, with sustainability defined by low environmental impacts, food and nutrition security and healthy life. The paths for more sustainable fresh produce are diverse. They include an increased use of ecosystemservices to e.g. favor predators of pests, or to reduce impact of floods, to reduce soil erosion, or to purify run-off waters. In contrast, they also include production systems isolated from the environment. From a socio-economical view, sustainability may imply maintaining small tenures with a higher risk of pathogen contamination.We analyzed the consequences for produce safety by focusing on risks of contamination by water, soil, environment and live stocks. Climate change may increase the constraints and recent knowledge on interactions between produce and human pathogens may bring new solutions. Existing technologies may suffice to resolve some conflicts between ensuring safety of fresh produce and moving towards more sustainability. However, socio-economic constraints of some agri-food systems may prevent their implementation. In addition, current strategies to preserve produce safety are not adapted to systems relying on ecological principles and knowledge is lacking to develop the new risk management approaches that would be needed.