Teaching environmental assessment methods to agronomists: didactical problems and opportunities for their curriculum

Environmental sustainability was recently included in the academic education, enriching the curricula of undergraduate and graduate programs across Europe. However in the agricultural context the approach to environmental sustainability is often limited to critically examining the problematic effects of the use of specific pesticides or other substances, but a systemic vision of sustainability in food production is missing. Environmental assessment methods (EAM) may significantly contribute to promote a more holistic vision of agriculture, as they require to model agricultural systems (highlighting connections and fluxes) and to grasp the complexity of environmental effects of management strategies, by applying a variety of assessment methods and categories.