Decision support for Nature-based Solutions in agricultural nutrient management – Green transition scenarios demonstrated for the landscapes around Limfjorden, Denmark

More Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and related, new farming practices are needed to promote the green transition of agriculture, and to reach the policy targets set in relation to environmental protection, biodiversity preservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation in combination with a sustainable agricultural production. This issue is addressed in a series of research and innovation projects, including the pan-European and China related trans4num.eu Horizon Europe project, and the Sustainscpes.org and Land-CRAFT.dk research centers.
This paper outlines the research-based development of a Decision Support System (DSS), coupled with farm models and data, for farmers and multiple stakeholders to prioritize and implement more NbS in their practices, and thereby meet targets set. Special focus is put on agricultural nutrient management. A new point for innovation is that the DSS should be able to operate at the landscape scale, together with central NatureBased solutions, and thereby used in new types of catchment scale advisory services, relevant to both farmers and other industry related decision makers, as well as for policy development.     
NbS measures of particular relevance for the Limfjorden study area are selected (incl. conversion from rotational crops to more permanent crops, in particular more grassland, and related new types of crop rotations). Innovative methods for landscape scale data collection are developed (based on digital farm data sources and remote sensing techniques), and the multiple stakeholder DSS design is developed though workshops in collaboration with local stakeholders, and demonstration of the landscape scale data collected. 
Results are presented in the form of solution scenarios for green transitions in the Limfjorden catchment, based on the selected NbS, and the DSS components developed. GIS-based maps are used to illustrate the potentials and implications for farmers as well as local, regional, national and international decision-makers are discussed. Feedbacks to the implications for local farming system development are collected, and potentials and further research needs for upscaling and similar applications in other sites across Europe and beyond are synthesized and discussed.