Summary

The forest management demonstration plots of the Pasaules dabas fonds (associate partner of WWF Latvia) have different owners, but their views on the forest are similar.
Here, forest owners work for the benefit of the present values while retaining the ability to exploit the vast forest values of tomorrow. There are three demonstration areas:
• “Kalna Gavniesi” in Skujene parish, Amata municipality of Vidzeme region;
• “Lejas Kleperi” in Launkalne parish, Smiltene municipality of Vidzeme region;
• “Pūpoli“, the territory forms the farm “Pūpoli” in Kurmene parish, Vecumnieki municipality and the farm “Alksnāji” in Mazzalve parish, Nereta municipality, and the farm “Renderi’ in Jaunjelgava parish, Jaunjelgava municipality of Zemgale region.

The demonstration areas differ in size, forest stand and natural conditions. Through contractual agreements (cooperation) with forest owners on a voluntary basis, seminars and internships are organized for other forest owners, students, etc. to maintain the forest and not to cut down all trees, to manage the forest in an environmentally friendly way and also to achieve economic benefits. There are about 5-10 events per year with a total number of 200-300 participants.

Public Goods

Summary

With the “Carta del Mulino”-program a value chain contract solution has been introduced for the farmers that supply Barilla’s bakery brand Mulino Bianco with soft wheat. Farmers have to respect ten rules, (defined together with WWF, UNITUSCIA and UNIBO) that affect their way of production. These rules are: ISCC PLUS certification to preserve biodiversity, crop rotation, a minimum percentage of area allocated to flowers, specific variety selection, certified seeds, no use of neonicotinoids, no use of glyphosate, segregation and traceability of the lots, lots’ storage separated from other production, added value distributed along the supply-chain. The contracts are signed by the mills, elevators, farmers and any trader if there are, but Barilla is purchasing only such certified products for the specific production lines described above.

Public Goods

Summary

Greener Dairy Farms _^TM is a dairy efficiency contract solution introduced by Carbery Group (a global leader in food ingredients, flavours and cheese) and Teagasc (state body which provides research, advisory and training to the agricultural and food sector in Ireland) to measure, monitor and optimise resource allocation and best practice in environmental sustainability on the dairy farm. The programme was set up in 2012, starting with 12 dairy farmers and now extends to 62 dairy farmers, all of whom are members of the cooperatives that own Carbery. Each farm has been assessed for carbon footprint, water and energy usage and soil fertility and a baseline created. Based on this assessment, various environmental efficiency measures have been introduced to improve performance and achieve financial savings. The programme was based on a previous European project called the Dairyman Project, where 120 dairy farmers in 10 regions of North West Europe which focused on farm resource efficiencies and management. Carbery was the first to start such an endeavour in Ireland. While all the farms are not adjacent to each other, they are all located within a relatively small territorial area.

Public Goods

Summary

The Eco-Methane program is a private-private result-based contractual solution. Methane emissions of dairy cows are estimated by frequent and regular infra-red analysis of their milk. Indeed, there is a correlation between an equilibrated feed ration, the composition of milk fatty acid and the emission of enteric gas (methane) by dairy cows. Farmers‘ payments depend on the difference in their methane emissions to a regional reference. They also depend on the donations by private companies to support their effort. Funds are collected by the Bleu-Blanc-Coeur fund for health-oriented agriculture and payments granted by the private association “Bleu-Blanc-Coeur” that also governs a food brand based on better animal nutrition for heathier human food.

The Eco-Methane method has been recognized by the French Ministry of Ecology in 2011 and by the United Nations in 2012, as a specific methodology for projects of methane emissions reductions of digestive origin trough the feed of dairy ruminants.

Public Goods

Summary

Pasture bank is a platform through which the landowners and the domestic animal herders can find each other and agree a land-tenure contract for leasing pastures or grazing animals. Increasing grazing of underutilized pastures can improve biodiversity, landscape and animal welfare. Besides a contract model, pasture bank offers information about pastures, herding animals (domestic sheep, cows, horses) and services available for all interested partners around the country. The amount and direction of money transferred varies case-by-case; either the animal herder pays for wild pastures, or the landowner who leases grazing animals pays for the herder. The contracts are made between private entrepreneurs, but also municipalities and other organizations can offer their land for animal herders. Pasture bank was initiated in 2005, and during this time the amount of written contracts has increased. There are around 150 announcement every year (including both animals and pastures).

Public Goods

Summary

With the integrated production program, sustainable agriculture in Andalusia has been promoted. The statistics offered by the regional government show that participation in this measure has been increasing over the past few years. Specifically, in the olive grove sector, there is a lot of competition. “Integrated production” provides the farmer with a sustainability brand that is usually linked to a better market price. The contract can be made directly with the administration or through cooperatives that manage various farms (minimum 5). As added value, the use of earth observation techniques allow the monitoring of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) under different crop management increasing the soil quality and the mitigation of climate change impacts.

Public Goods