Category Archives: Users

Innovative Contract Solutions for the Provision of Agri-Environmental Climatic Public Goods: A Literature Review

Again, we are happy to send you the information regarding a publication carried out by our colleagues from the CONSOLE project, Daniele Vergamini, Matteo Olivieri, María Andreoli (University of Pisa) and Fabio Bartolini (University of Ferrara).

The research is titled “Innovative Contract Solutions for the Provision of Agri-Environmental Climatic Public Goods: A Literature Review” and they begin by arguing how the absence of public funding and the deterioration of the environment due to anthropic actions is encouraging the search for innovative mechanisms, that promote the provision of agri-environmental climate public goods (AECPG) by farmers.

The authors argue that the main failures of the current policy regime stem from the inability of policy makers to cope with the heterogeneity of private costs to produce agri-environmental goods in agrarian areas. This has caused innovative solutions to be sought.

Methodology

Faced with this situation, the researchers have carried out a systematic bibliographic review where the potential results-based collective contracts as innovative solutions are analysed in comparison with action-based instruments (most used today).

Results

Obviously, we are not going to reveal the research results here, as we want you to read this interesting research article.

The findings related to the type of external environment are collected by policy environment (choice of the type of policy, type of most suitable contract or implementation of the contract), agricultural and social environment (behaviour and knowledge of farmers) and ecological environment (inappropriate behaviour related to high productivity and scarce supply of Agri-environmental goods) that must be taken into consideration when developing strategies.

Likewise, the researchers highlight the importance of the innovative solutions included in the publications to avoid errors in the policies, propose discriminatory payment systems or new mechanisms of action.

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Soil Conservation Day

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Why is it celebrated today?

The International Soil Conservation Day event has been commemorated since 1963; Three years earlier, on July 7, 1960, the American scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881-1960) died. As director of the Soil Conservation Service, he managed to change the mentality of farmers, promoting soil conservation through the use of new techniques and forms of cultivation, which protected the soils and preserved their fertility.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STATE ARCHIVES OF NORTH CAROLINA. SOURCE: https://www.ourstate.com/

This distinguished scientist dedicated his entire life to demonstrating that caring for the soil is inextricably linked to its productive capacity and was a pioneer of sustainability, when this concept had not yet been invented. For this reason, on this very significant date their work, their example and their achievements are remembered, and they strive to continue conserving and protecting soils.

Problems affecting soils

You already know that soils are an essential resource for the maintenance and life of human beings. However, in our contradictions, we have mistreated him. Because soils receive large amounts of pollutants, whether they are liquid or solid and sometimes also gaseous. Sewage and crop runoff, industrial waste, toxic particles, plastics, garbage, etc. They contain substances that are harmful to the health of the living elements that fertilize these soils.

Among them, we can highlight agricultural activities, which generally use large amounts of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; as well as plastic particles, which penetrate to the lower layers of the soil and cause significant damage to the intrinsic nature of the earth, ending its fertility.

Social awareness is essential to conserve and protect the soil

With the celebration of the International Soil Conservation Day, it is intended to achieve a greater awareness of the world population, when it comes to giving soil conservation the great importance it has for all living beings. Therefore, it is essentially and vitally important that all the inhabitants of the planet learn to care for and respect the environment in which we live. Being very clear that numerous actions such as the uncontrolled felling of trees, uncontrolled and aggressive burning or the continued and excessive use of manures and artificial fertilizers, can cause a high degree of erosion and with it an impoverishment of such a basic component of life as is the ground.

Wildlife Estates Label in Flanders

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Summary

Estates and territories adhere on a voluntary basis. They commit to maintain and developing high standards of wildlife management, with emphasis on habitats. This involves all aspects of multifunctional estate management. They are assessed according to a scientific based method (www.wildlife-estates.eu), which has been adapted to national or regional specificities.
Aspects covered are:

Level of stillness/tranquility/surveillance
Existence of measures that help the sustainable balance between agriculture,
silviculture, cinegenic management, pisciculture/fishing
Natural, semi-natural and intensive hunting or fishing grounds
Biodiversity surface
Food availability
Water availability
Presence of restoration measures and improvements to habitat holding capacity for
wildlife Presence of prey species
Presence of valuable species of fauna
Treatment and destination of venison
Implication of local actors
Conservation of cultural and historic heritage
Communication program in the Flemish Region of Belgium, more than 8500 hectares have been labeled. Monitoring is part of the assessment and the label is awarded on a 5 years basis. After this period, management goals and achievements need to be re-evaluated and WE Charter commitments renewed.

Objectives

Participation in the WE Label takes place on a voluntary basis by landowners and managers to work on sustainable management, conservation of biodiversity and development of fauna and flora, based on their own integrated vision of ecological, economic and social functions. Wildlife Estates regularly communicates about best practices and optimal management techniques that are developed and applied by members. It also informs the general public about the importance of estates in ecological, economic and social terms.

Public Goods

**Recreational access / Improvements to physical and mental health**

Problem description

Traditional multifunctional estates (landgoederen) and territories managed by hunting management associations (wildbeheereenheden) are major contributors to biodiversity in Flanders, although their action often is very private and not communicated at all.
This can only be achieved through the voluntary engagement of and intense cooperation between the many (mostly private) managers of the outlying areas such as farmers, estate managers, nature and forest managers, hunters, fishermen and others, all of whom are very important but often play an ignored role in preserving auna and flora. They form the most important link in the realization of sustainable rural development.
Where good results for biodiversity on private estates are already being measured, this is very often due to a well-balanced balance between the ecological, economic and social functions of management. The WE Label uncovers the quality of caring stewardship for the benefit of nature conservation to the outside world. The land managers who endorse the principles of the WE Label do so on a voluntary basis, not because it is imposed by the government.
It is their healthy, conservative attitude that is bearing fruit for biodiversity. Where good practices are used that consider both economic and ecological aspects, landowners and managers produce biodiversity, in other words: the natural support on which unique habitats and species can thrive. The added value that is offered here is enormous, also social. The WE Label wants to make this known and raise the expertise that comes with it as standard, so that many land managers can benefit from this expertise and refer to it.

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Benefits for the local society attached to rural landscape: An analysis of residents’ perception of ecosystem services

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Today we want to publish on the CONSOLE project blog, one of the most useful papers that can help both farmers and other related actors (stakeholders) to understand how to manage rural areas in a sustainable way.

It is a scientific publication of three colleagues from our project (Stefano Targetti, Mari Raggi and Davide Viaggi) who begin the text, adding the importance of correctly managing ecosystem services to contribute efficiently to society and regional development.

For example, and as the research points out, they improve employment opportunities, increase the population (remember that rural areas of Europe are depopulated), create cultural benefits, develop tourist and recreational activities, attract investments, offer added value to products, etc.

However, it is a challenge to understand both the economic and social processes that relate the landscape and the economic development of geographic territories.

And with that objective they have developed this study. These researchers have investigated the different perceptions of the benefits associated with the rural landscape in different groups of residents of a coastal region of northern Italy (Lowlands of the PO River Delta).

Obviously, we encourage you to read the scientific article to know the results of the research. However, we can tell you that the majority perception of the people surveyed value positively (from an economic point of view) the elements of the landscape and the local development actions carried out in them.

In addition, this magnificent research also shows you which types of landscapes (and landscape elements) are highly valued.

And downloading the article is as simple as clicking this button.

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And downloading the journal article is as simple as clicking this button.

Result-based Nature conservation Plan (RNP)

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Summary

In the period 2014-2020, under the Austrian Agri-Environmental-Program ÖPUL, a sub- measure “Result-based Nature Conservation Plan (RNP)” has been integrated into the measure “Nature conservation”. In contrast to conventional ÖPUL measures, the RNP
defines environmental objectives to be reached as basis for 2nd Pillar payments, and not management measures. The approach allows farmers to make own decisions about management measures and implement them at their own discretion. The RNP represents a dual system of 1.) environmental area objectives, on the basis of which farmers primarily orientate their farming methods and 2.) control criteria, which are used primarily as a control instrument for the technical control service. Both types of environmental objectives are farm-individually developed by ecologists together with the farmers, and fixed in a farm-individual logbook, containing information on objectives, illustrations of species, maps of appearance, suggestions of management measures as well as a section for documentation of management measures and progress as regards the objectives.
Besides the documentation by the farmer, control of RNP control criteria is carried out by specially trained staff of the national control body (AMA).

Objectives

Results-oriented implementation of the ÖPUL conservation measure;
Definition of specific nature conservation area objectives (species and habitats) on the farm;
Increase farmers’ understanding of the needs and conservation of valuable species and habitat types;
Enabling decision-making autonomy and room for manoeuvre in the implementation of management measures;
Raising awareness of the objectives of the Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive and the Natura 2000 network, and knowledge expansion about the life requirements of the target species.

Public Goods

Problem description

“Classical” contractual nature conservation is predominantly designed to be action- oriented. Concrete management measures are defined on valuable areas by authorities in coordination with the farmers. The farmers are often not well informed about the protection objectives on the area and the expected results. This means that farmers do not necessarily understand why certain measures are taken and no process of learning can settle. In 2014 the first concept of the result-based nature conservation plan was developed and piloted. Here, the focus lies on the nature conservation objectives on the contractual areas. These objectives are developed together with the farmers. Management measures to reach objectives are not prescribed and can be determined by the farmers themselves. Besides reaching the environmental objectives, in this way the RNP intends to increase farmers’ flexibility, supports awareness building and the building of social capital.

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Using natural flood management to achieve multiple environmental benefits in Wharfedale

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Summary

Natural flood management (NFM) was one of the reasons for establishment of the Wharfedale CSFF network in 2017; it brought together 16 farmers to tackle issues across the catchment using NFM and other measures. Flooding happens several times a year in the catchment and there are long-term problems with soil loss and pollution; Storm Desmond in 2015 provided a North of England focus for action to address flooding.
A key aspect of this network was to bring together a group of neighbouring farmers and identify their priorities. The group has focused on key issues they want to tackle; some related to flood risk mitigation, but many others on topics including improving the value chain for their products, public goods such as habitat restoration and understanding and reducing their carbon footprints.

Objectives

Improvements in water quality, in particular reductions in sediment and phosphate throughout the catchment, from Natural Flood Management measures;
Increased biodiversity in blanket bog, upland heath and hay meadows;
Improvements in habitats for species, in particular wading birds;
Training to provide greater knowledge and understanding of flood risk reduction and to build a holistic view of the catchment

Public Goods

Using natural flood management to achieve multiple environmental benefits in Wharfedale

Problem description

The Wharfedale NFM CSFF network was funded through the CSFF Northern Flood round in 2017 as a response to the flooding in the North of England caused by Storm Desmond in December 2015.

Flood events happen in this area several times a year and there are longstanding issues such as sedimentation, soil loss and pollution levels in the Wharfe catchment. While the flooding itself is further downstream from where network members are based, there was a desire amongst farmers to use NFM measures to tackle these problems and work together collectively.

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