A typical application of SEAMLESS-IF at meso level: the green Intensification scenario applied in Auvergne | Une application de Seamless-IF à un niveau méso-régional : l'étude du scénario de l'intensification verte en Auvergne

This deliverable presents the results of the application of the bio-economic farm model FSSIM for a set of farm types representing the arable farming systems in Auvergne region (France).The use of FSSIM to test the suitability of new cropping techniques has produced interesting results. This case study demonstrated the capability of FSSIM model to reproduce the major drivers of selection by 'specialist field crop' farmers (FT4 cluster) in the Auvergne region of alternative production systems in response to CAP implementation (in the baseline scenario) and to support policy makers in the designing of a regional policy - so called Green Intensification Policy (GIP)' to convince 'specialist field crop' farmers in the Auvergne region to lower the nitrogen balance below 50 kg /ha in such a context (CAP reform). Although the capabilities of FSSIM to generate meaningful insights and profound discussions around the functioning of 'specialist field crop' farms in Auvergne region was limited by problems in the definition of yields, costs, externalities per crop within crop rotation in the absence of APES model in the tested model chain, this work provided insights in some key methodological aspects for future improvements and further uses of the meso backbone modelling chain of SEAMLESS-IF. More especially, this study demonstrated the need for a way to provide the policy makers with indications on the possible consequences of variations in knowledge, skills, and management capability among individual farmers, on policy impacts. Turning to the value of FSSIM for policy domain, one of the main advantages lies in the need to formalise theories (e.g. on decision making) and link them to databases in such a way that they can be entered into a model, for example as rule structures. Linking formalised theory to databases introduces a further level of discipline to intellectual thought. Another advantage of FSSIM lies in the applied policy nature of the research findings: additional value is achieved when academic research is of utility to non-academic communities. In doing so, FSSIM enable agronomists to contribute to discourses amongst other academic disciplines and communities, including policy makers, where the modelling of alternative scenarios has become a significant research activity.