“burren life”...agri-environmental schemes & natura 2000 farmland 3. evolution &...
TRANSCRIPT
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Burren Farming for Conservation Programme
“Burren Life”
Sharon Parr, BFCP
1. The Burren & farming 2. Agri-environmental Schemes & Natura 2000 farmland 3. Evolution & principles of the BFCP 4. Impacts & benefits
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The Burren
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Pastoral landscape: 720 km2, natural & semi-natural habitats, improved agricultural grassland
Orchid-rich grasslands & heaths*
Limestone pavements* Wetlands*
Atlantic hazel woods
Almost half is designated Special Area of Conservation (c. 340 km2)
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Designations do not manage the Burren’s farmland biodiversity
… need farmers to do that!
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Summer fertile agricultural grasslands
Traditional winter grazing - ‘Winterage’
Winter ‘winterage’
Natura 2000
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Winter grazing, the key to maintaining the Burren’s biodiversity
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Intensification -Feeding Winterages undergrazed, occasionally abandoned
Despite SAC designation – habitats deteriorating
Change in focus, loss of balance The problem?
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Obvious solution – agri-environmental scheme
An agri-environmental scheme STILL the obvious solution
How to develop one that would work?
1995 REPS … but it didn’t manage the biodiversity either!
• Farmers thought it:
Rigid & inflexible - “Calendar farming”
Fairly meaningless
About penalties
But liked the money! Important income.
Why not?
• ‘One size fits all’ national scheme
Options & measures incapable of delivering good habitat management
• Introduced a ‘Burren measure’
protection against perceived negative impacts of farming
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Talking, Listening & Learning
Identify the problems, explore solutions
1. AES: drawn up by people divorced from the ‘issues’
2. Conservation agencies & farmers: conflict and lack of trust
3. Farmers: seen as the problem, not the solution
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PhD. The impact of Agricultural Practices on the Natural Heritage of the Burren Brendan Dunford
The farmer’s view and expertise
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BurrenLIFE Project (2005-2010)
Partners
National Parks & Wildlife Service
Teagasc
Burren Irish Farmers Association
…develop practical farm management
systems to benefit the environment, the
habitats and the farmers of the Burren
Talking, Listening & Learning
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Research & Monitoring: the bigger picture
Agricultural, Ecological, Environmental & Socio-economic
Main Outcomes:
Further identification of problems and possible solutions
Recommended management practices, with costs & guidelines
Built strong working partnerships
Garnered trust & support of the farming community
Proven impact > improvement in condition of grazed habitats
But: Funding the work to address problems did not always result in improved grazing levels …. there was still something missing!
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Payment for Actions (work) Payment for Results
The Burren Farming for Conservation Programme
A ‘Hybrid’ Agri-environmental Scheme
Farmer led … • Told what’s wanted • Farmer decides own management strategy & nominates actions • Support & training provided • Can opt out of actions – only paid for work done
Workshop
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Principles for developing a (more) successful agri-environmental scheme
1. Targeted to the needs of a particular area (avoiding ‘one size fits all’)
2. Ground up & local in development and delivery (avoiding ‘outside experts telling us what to do’)
3. Flexible & focussed on outputs / results rather than methods (avoiding ‘calendar farming’, allowing diversity of enterprise)
4. Focus on supporting positive farming activities rather than on limiting negative ones (putting pride back into farming, avoiding accusations of ‘farmers dole’)
5. Activities must make sense to the farmers (more than just money)
6. Delivering real results NOT ease of auditing
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Impacts & Benefits of the BFCP
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Positive Impact on Landscape
89km broken walls repaired 450 new gates, 111 Burren gates
214ha of encroaching scrub removed
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Local Socio-Economic Benefits
Input into local economy (2010-2014)
160 participating farmers shared €4.935m.
Average BFCP income in Year 5 = €6.5K
Average total payment per farm over 5 yrs. = €32,600
Money circulates:
Contractors – database of 80 local workers
Agricultural suppliers
Local industry e.g. Burren gates
Landscape cared for – bedrock of local tourism
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-8,00%
-6,00%
-4,00%
-2,00%
0,00%
2,00%
4,00%
6,00%
8,00%
10,00%
12,00%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Ch
an
ge
Score
Change in 'Health' Scores 2010 to 2014 Higher the score, the better the condition
Impact on habitat condition
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Advantages of the BFCP approach
For: Farmers Freedom to farm Incentives & support (carrot not stick) Taxpayers Value for money (€69/ha) Poor performance, poor payment Funders Proven impact via simple monitoring system Biodiversity Becomes of ‘value’ to farmers
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The BFCP as a catalyst
LIFE Nature Projects:
AranLIFE, KerryLIFE
Ireland’s RDP 2015-2020:
€70m for locally targeted schemes
BFCP set to expand
Results-based Pilots:
RBAPS Leitrim - HNV farmland
Shannon Callows – breeding waders
Navarra – vines
European Diploma for Protected Areas:
A first for Ireland
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Impact on Local Pride
Farmers are proud of their role & achievements
Increased knowledge of both natural & cultural heritage
Partners in conservation, not the scape-goats
Being paid for a product not a ‘hand-out’