promoting viability of agricultural communities to protect...
TRANSCRIPT
Fundaţia ADEPT Transilvania
Madrid 29 September 2015
Promoting viability of agricultural communities to protect
a Natura 2000 landscape
Târnava Mare:one of Romania’s largest
farmland Natura 2000 sites
→
A lowland area of high biodiversity, 85.000ha farmed by 5.000 families in small-scale farming communities
Tens of thousands of hectares of grassland and forest
habitats, and many HD/WBD Annex species
Some of the most important wildflower-
rich lowland haymeadows in Europe …
…. and areas of mosaic landscape with wildflower-rich haymeadows, trees and scrub offering
biodiversity connectivity and refuges
…with associated wildlife of European
importance
Resistance to flooding,
fires, climate change Low energy agriculture
Low energy villages Short supply chains
Pollination Carbon
sequestration Agro-
biodiversity
Biodiversity Clean air, clean
water Food quality
Food security Nature tourism
Why are these landscapes important?
Public Goods
Who created these landscapes? Farm sizes in Romania
• 2.7 m holdings <1ha, 35% of UAA
• 900,000 holdings 1-5 ha, 15% UAA
• 150,000 holdings 5-10ha, 40% UAA
Challenge: can traditional land management in
Romania offer a livelihood to small-scale farmers?
If so, much of this biodiversity will be indirectly
protected
E.g.: collapse of cow numbers (~25% in 5 years)
Each cow = 1ha of meadow habitat maintained
Up to 50% of hay meadows abandoned
The biodiversity of the area comes from
traditional land management.
Transylvania present
• Scenarios: Joern Fischer et al., 2014. How
will this landscape look in 30 years’ time?
Our land, their wealth
• Policy: pro-economy, low emphasis on environment
• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: low
Prosperity through growth
• Policy: pro-economy, low emphasis environment
• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: high
Missed opportunity
• Policy: pro-environment, low emphasis on
economy
• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: low
Balance brings beauty
• Policy: pro-environment, low emphasis economy
• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: high
• In 2005-6 we designed Romania’s first HNV grassland
agri-environment scheme.
• Scheme launched nationally in 2008. Participation of
Târnava Mare area farmers in the agri-environment
scheme was five times higher than regional average.
Local: 1,390 small farmers on 17,641 ha
National: 230,000 farmers on 1.1m ha
What has ADEPT done?
1. WORKING WITH MINISTRY
Developing CAP payments
Simple schemes keeping farmers on the land Dark green or light green?
• These shepherds get €90 /ha basic grassland a-e payments
+ €58 ha non-mechanisation + €100/ha direct payments =
total €282 per ha per year
• They are not changing their behaviour. But without a-e
payments they would not continue.
Preventing change = Opportunity costs
Paying for change = income foregone + additional costs
Paying for farmers’ time = Transaction costs (20% – 30%)
….. dark green or light green.
Now Natura 2000 related measures becoming more species-specific.
Beware exporting W. European approaches to E. Europe!
Carrying out
conservation/restoration of
important grassland habitats
under EU LIFE+. Hundreds of
ha brought under FCS
2. Working with innovators
LIFE STIPA
Support of Martin
Brielmaier
3. Working with farmers. Maintaining
haymeadows by improving the market for milk
↑ hygiene, ↑ prices for farmers
Milk Collection Points serving over 170 farmers, and over 700 cows, €40.000/year additional income
Biodiversity impact: Maintaining 1-2000 ha of grass by grazing/mowing in each village
4. Consumers. Markets and diversification
Farmers markets
€150,000 / year
70 producers
Apps
SMS
Area branding
Mountain bike trails linking
producers and guest
houses
10-fold increase to
€110,000 income
10,000 visitors
• Working with farmers to maintain management patterns –
Innovate – information, training, new machinery ideas
Use real benefits to create associations: critical mass for markets
Practical design of a-e measures – farmers are necessary!
• Practical experience on the ground strengthens policy advocacy
• Understand the CAP – boring but important!
Lessons learned
2014: 1st prize in EU for bringing
most benefits to communities in
a protected area
2012 and 2013: 1st prize in EU for
innovative communication with
farmers
Multumesc pentru
atentie!
Fundatia ADEPT
Transilvania
www.fundatia-adept.org