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Résumé :
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Since 2012, the Tour du Valat has been leading an innovative agro-ecological project in Petite Camargue, on the land of Petit Saint-Jean, which is located in the Gard Camargue, mid-way between Arles and Montpellier, and a few kilometres away from the historic city of Aigues-Mortes. The Petit Saint-Jean estate covers 100 hectares made up of three main components: pine forests (which have mostly disappeared from the rest of the territory) a mosaic of wetlands and sandy agricultural land. The Tour du Valat aims to put in place a showcase of land management practices that demonstrate the compatibility and advantages of integrating agricultural and nature conservation activities. The showcase also includes social and economic components to ensure the sustainability of the actions. The project is based on the principles of agro-ecology and permaculture; two complementary approaches founded on respect of the functioning of natural ecosystems, and in particular taking into account the rich and complex interactions that characterize them, in order to make agricultural production more respectful of the environment as well as more efficient in the long-term. At Petit Saint-Jean, chemical inputs are reduced to a minimum, while the use of renewable energies and materials are favoured (animal traction, solar pump, reuse of biomass, etc.) In the context of climate change, special attention is also given to water use for agricultural irrigation. The use of traditional and innovative water retention practices (mulching, drip, etc.) are being implemented as well as the selection of drought resistant varieties (southern France grape varieties for the vines, fruit trees adapted to Mediterranean climate, for example)
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