Good Practice - Project
Ecosystem services in the Satakunta region farmlands – working with biodiversity
CAP funds training and pilots to educate farmers on nature protection.
General information
RDP Priority
- P1. Knowledge transfer and innovation
RDP Focus Area
- 1A: Innovation & cooperation
RDP Measure
- M01: Knowledge transfer & information actions
Beneficiary type
- Research institution
Summary
The project, led by the Pyhäjärvi Institute in Finland's Satakunta region, aimed to educate farmers about diversifying agricultural practices to address the impacts of climate change. Recognising the importance of biodiversity and climate-friendly farming, the project piloted innovative methods and shared the outcomes with local farmers. Key activities included webinars and seminars covering biodiversity, rotational grazing, GPS technology for grazing, invasive species and crop rotation. Workshops introduced farmers to new crop species and GPS technology for managing grazing cattle. The project also piloted intercropping methods with lentils, oats and cabbage with flower strips to explore the benefits of mixed crops and pollinators.
Results
- The webinars and seminars attracted over 220 participants and the field pilots provided a practical example of how simple it can be to use flower fields to support local biodiversity.
- The GPS technology garnered significant attention from local farmers.
- The field pilot testing lentil and oat intercropping faced challenges due to adverse weather conditions. However, Finnish farmers are very interested in growing lentils, and the farmer who participated in the project pilot was inspired to try growing his own lentils in the future.
- The flower field proved easy to sow and has worked well for the farmer.
Promoter
Pyhäjärvi-institute
Funding
Total budget: 206 747 (EUR)
EAFRD: 69 467 (EUR)
National/Regional: 95 931 (EUR)
Private/own: 41 349 (EUR)
Ressourcen
Documents
Good Practice Report - Ecosystem services in the Satakunta region farmlands – working with biodiversity
(PDF – 1.37 MB)
Links
Context
The project was implemented to enhance the knowledge and skills of primary producers in the Satakunta region concerning sustainability and biodiversity. The project seeks to support primary production and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by providing farmers with a variety of modern and easily accessible methods that support biodiversity in agricultural environments.
The project was managed by the Pyhäjärvi Institute, an educational and research organisation based in the Eura municipality of southwest Finland, the country's most intensively farmed area. The institute promotes sustainable and responsible food production and water management through post-secondary education programmes focusing on the food economy, water protection and environmental restoration.
Objectives
Project specific objectives included:
- Communicating and relaying methods of diversifying agricultural environments (e.g. intercropping, flower strips and grazing cattle).
- Piloting the methods listed above.
- Organising educational events around the project’s themes.
- Encouraging farmers to try new crop species and varieties on their farms.
- Encouraging farmers to graze cattle in forest pastures and natural pastures.
Activities
Project activities included:
- Organising webinars and seminars. The project targeted farmers and other stakeholders in the Satakunta region's food sector. The events covered topics such as biodiversity, rotational grazing, the use of GPS technology in grazing, invasive alien species and crop rotation.
- Organising workshops for farmers. The workshops focused on introducing new crop species and using GPS technology to locate grazing cattle.
- Piloting crop intercropping. The project tested the potential of new crop species, such as lentils and oats, using intercropping methods to harness the ecosystem benefits of mixed crops. Lentils were explored as a potential new crop for Finland.
- Piloting cabbage and flower strip intercropping. These pilots aimed to demonstrate the ecosystem benefits provided by pollinators and by the natural enemies of pests, through the intercropping of cabbage with flower strips.
- Piloting GPS technology. The project reviewed the use of GPS technology to efficiently locate grazing cattle.
Main results
Key results achieved were:
- Webinars and seminars attracted over 220 participants, making them an effective platform for disseminating information about the project and its themes. The field pilots provided a practical example of how simple it can be to use flower fields to support biodiversity.
- GPS technology garnered significant attention from local farmers, highlighting a gap between the willingness to graze cattle on natural pastures and the actual amount of grazing taking place.
- Field pilots tested lentil and oat intercropping, but they faced challenging weather conditions and did not achieve the expected yield. In 2023, lentils and oats were harvested, but their quality did not meet the expected standards. In 2024, the lentil crop could not be harvested due to a severe weed infestation. However, growing lentils in Finland remains very interesting for many local farmers, and the farmer who participated in the pilot is inspired to continue trying to grow lentils.
- The flower field has proven easy to sow and has worked well for the farmer.
Key lessons
- Effective communication among all participants is crucial to ensure everyone can contribute when exploring methods to support local biodiversity.
- Hands-on pilot projects are an effective way to investigate whether a new method is worth scaling up. Given that farmers' income is directly tied to the productivity of their fields, it is essential to be realistic about how much risk farmers take when trying new crops or methods. Managing expectations and providing clear evidence of potential benefits are key to winning stakeholders' trust, support and participation.
- One of the most interesting aspects of the project was the experiment with lentil crops. Lentils are well known in Finnish cuisine and are valued for their taste and nutritional value. Their value within the crop rotation approach is less well known and potentially very profitable, but this project has highlighted the risk of adverse weather conditions.
Growing flower fields has truly opened my eyes to how much it affects local biodiversity. When looking at a plain oat field, you cannot see any butterflies, bumblebees, or flies. But when you turn around and look at the flower field, there is an abundance of life.