City-Region Food Systems and Biodiversity Conservation: The Case Study of the Entre-Douro-e-Minho Agrarian Region

Abstract

Agriculture is the dominant form of land management with at least half of the species in Europe depending on agricultural habitats. Additionally, there is a growing demand for a more sustainable food system. In that context, food system relocalization and City-Region Food Systems (CRFS) are proposed for food resilience and environmental sustainability. This work represents the first attempt to map the relocalization of the potential foodshed (PF) of the Entre-Douro-e-Minho agrarian region, assessing its impacts on landscape heterogeneity and ecological value. The methodological approach, developed in a Geographic Information System, aimed to (1) map the ecological suitability of the study area, (2) propose a PF relocalization scenario, and (3) assess its impacts on land cover changes and landscape structure through landscape metrics. Outcomes of this research reflect land-use optimization concerning ecological suitability for agrarian uses, depicting the strong presence of temporary crops in the landscape. They also emphasize the need for greater detail in Land Use Plans, due to the vulnerability of coastal areas. Moreover, results revealed an increased landscape heterogeneity and related ecological value, highlighting the integration of landscape ecological properties into CRFS planning as a line of research and contributing to the implementation of land use compatible with biodiversity conservation.