Cropping systems design in watersheds used for drinking water: innovations, feedback and lessons learned

Abstract

France try to implement multifunctionnal agriculture linking preservation of water quality and economical performance of farms on 20000 watersheds used for drinking water. The environmental issues pointed out cropping system concept - sensu lato: as, crop and grassland management- and the central role of cropping systems spatial organisation at the landscape scale. More precisely, we have to understand, diagnose and re-design this spatial organisation of cropping system at the watershed scale. We use five in situ re-designing of cropping systems in Lorraine and Burgondy, to draw a general framework for water resources protection in the watersheds. The authors focuse on two steps: the territorial diagnosis though a local and common design for the future cropping systems, and the implementation of this foresight through a share planning. This planning uses two axes: the evolution of cropping systems, and the relocation of cropping systems through land re-design. This planning is based on the capacity of local stakeholders to coordinate their own evolutions in this common plan. In the future, these watersheds could be territory frozen with strict reglementations or could be on the opposite "local innovations laboratories" to learn together the future of a multi-functionnal agriculture, with innovative cropping systemes, innovative landscape design, with agro-ecology principes. The water stakeholders will have the central role in this choice.