Good Practice - Project
Good agricultural practices for biodiversity in the context of climate change
National Rural Network funds help expand farmer understanding about nature conservation and income opportunities from agri-environment measures in the CAP’s green architecture.
General information
RDP Measure
- M20: Technical assistance
Beneficiary type
- Non-governmental organisation
Summary
Promoting environmentally sensitive farming practices that are farmer-led is a core aspect of the CAP. Identifying and networking good practices in this domain can foster innovation, enhance ecological sustainability, and maximise the effectiveness of CAP's green architecture. By empowering farmers to adopt environmentally friendly methods that they have developed or refined, the EU can share good practice approaches across and within countries, helping create more resilient agrifood systems. Farmer-led approaches can improve environmental outcomes by strengthening networking ties among farmers who share insights and experiences regarding best practices in sustainable agriculture.
In this context, the Confederacao Dos Agricultores De Portugal worked with a stakeholder consortium to develop a project funded by the National Rural Network (NRN) called ‘Good agricultural practices for biodiversity in the context of climate change’. Through Focus Groups and published guidance, NRN support provided land managers with more detailed information on how to implement these good practices on farms.
Results
- Project actions raised awareness among farmers about CAP support opportunities for a long list of topics including: tilling, living or multifunctional hedges, stone walls, woodlands, riparian galleries, temporary ponds, ponds and small dams, stone and wood clusters, old buildings and ruins, wildlife watering holes, nest boxes and shelter boxes, crops for wildlife, reduced areas for cutting hay and/or silage, conditioned spring grazing, livestock fences adapted to wildlife, fallow land, margins and uncultivated areas of the plot, and farm woodlands. This new knowledge provides a resource for farmers and policymakers alike, facilitating informed decision-making.
- 18 good practice leaflets were produced outlining how CAP funds can help different farming sizes and systems (considering factors such as crop types, local climate conditions, and socio-economic context). A Non-Technical Report was also produced, presenting project results and proposing measures to encourage farmers to better adopt good biodiversity-promoting practices as part of the CAP's green architecture.
Promoter
CAP (Confederacao Dos Agricultores De Portugal)
Funding
RDP support: 97 111 (EUR)
EAFRD: 82 545 (EUR)
National/Regional: 14 566 (EUR)
Ressourcen
Context
EU support for sustainable agricultural practices helps to ensure food security and develop farming communities. A core aspect of this policy is the promotion of farmer-led, environmentally sensitive agricultural practices. Identifying good practices in this domain is crucial for several reasons, primarily because it can foster innovation, enhance ecological sustainability, and maximise the effectiveness of CAP's green architecture. By empowering farmers to adopt environmentally friendly methods that they have developed or refined, the EU can create a more resilient agricultural system.
Farmer-led initiatives can reflect localised knowledge and context-specific challenges that can serve as motivational models for other farmers working in similar ecological zones, thereby facilitating a broader adoption of sustainable techniques across diverse regions in Europe. This grassroots approach not only improves environmental outcomes but also strengthens networking ties among farmers who share insights and experiences regarding best practices in sustainable agriculture.
Moreover, promoting successful farmer-led initiatives aligns with the EU’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. By identifying and disseminating effective strategies for environmentally sensitive farming, policymakers can ensure that financial resources allocated under CAP’s green architecture are used optimally. This helps mitigate environmental degradation and boosts biodiversity and soil health, contributing to long-term agricultural productivity and related agrifood sector jobs.
It is in this context that the Confederacao Dos Agricultores De Portugal worked with a stakeholder consortium to develop a project, funded by the National Rural Network, called ‘Good agricultural practices for biodiversity in the context of climate change’.
Objectives
This project sought to identify a set of good practices that can be adapted to the different realities of Portuguese farms, and which are effective in promoting the environmental services they are intended to encourage. The main objective was to provide land managers with more detailed information on how to implement these good practices on farms using CAP support opportunities.
Project aims would raise awareness about a long list of topics including: tilling, living or multifunctional hedges, stone walls, woodlands, riparian galleries, temporary ponds, ponds and small dams, stone and wood clusters, old buildings and ruins, wildlife watering holes, nest boxes and shelter boxes, crops for wildlife, reduced areas for cutting hay and/or silage, conditioned spring grazing, livestock fences adapted to wildlife, fallow land, margins and uncultivated areas of the plot, and farm woodlands.
Good agricultural practices would be promoted that increase biodiversity on farms adapted to the different national agricultural realities, as an important contribution to adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Activities
Initial project activity required data collection and processing on measures to promote biodiversity that had been implemented between 2010 and 2014 as part of three pilot projects that assessed the impact of implementing measures to increase biodiversity on farms.
Subsequently, project members identified the ecosystem services related to climate change that could be supported by the EU agri-environmental funds, ranking the importance of each of the CAP measures/sub-measures’ probable contribution to different ecosystem services. At the same time, they identified a set of Good Practices for increasing biodiversity on farms and discussed the principles to be considered when assessing their cost-benefit ratio.
Three Focus Groups were consulted to support the project team in evaluating measures to increase biodiversity on farms and how to improve the contribution of agri-environmental measures to biodiversity, and in terms of adaptation and mitigation to climate change. To this end, meetings were held with each of these groups, which included the participation of farmers, technicians from farmers' organisations, public administration, researchers and experts on the different topics. Due to pandemic restrictions, only three of the planned eight Focus Group meetings were able to take place, and these were converted into webinars on the following dates:
- 11 March 2021, Vineyards, Olive Groves and Dried Fruit.
- 18 March 2021, Fruit Growing and Irrigated Crops.
- 25 March 2021, Pastures and Forage Crops.
A series of 18 different leaflets in digital format was produced explaining good practices for increasing biodiversity and made available on the consortium members’ websites. Another leaflet listing the good practices identified was also produced and published, and disseminated to farmers, particularly through consortium organisations.
Main results
- Project results from the NRN support relate to the identification of effective agri-environment practices suitable for various Portuguese farm realities, which can populate a comprehensive database of best practices detailing successful agri-environment actions across diverse agricultural systems within Portugal. This new knowledge can serve as a vital resource for farmers and policymakers alike, facilitating informed decision-making.
- The project produced 18 good practice leaflets as tailored guidelines that outline how CAP-funded good practices can be adapted to different farm types and sizes. Recognising the heterogeneity of Portuguese agriculture helped these guidelines consider factors such as crop types, local climate conditions, and socio-economic contexts.
- The development of Focus Group programmes for farmers provided networking exchanges and resources on implementing good practices effectively, which should help farmers enhance their understanding and capability to adopt environmentally friendly methods that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- A Non-Technical Report was also produced, presenting project results and proposing measures to encourage farmers to better adopt good biodiversity-promoting practices as part of the CAP's green architecture.
Key lessons
- Recognising good practices in farmer-led environmentally sensitive farming helps enhance the efficacy of the CAP's green architecture. EU collaboration between farmers and policymakers can foster sustainable agricultural systems that meet contemporary environmental challenges while supporting rural livelihoods.
- Monitoring the impact of EU-funded actions should involve agreeing baselines for the situations that they aim to improve and have clearly defined indicators with milestones to measure the success of projects in relation to their objectives, e.g. quantifiable increases in specified species numbers or habitat coverage. Project MEAL systems should be able to discount counter-factual influences and clearly attribute their costs to qualified and quantified benefits created for citizens from EU funding support.
- Fostering collaboration among stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, and governmental bodies, will enhance knowledge exchange and support sustainable agricultural development in Portugal. These collaborative efforts are vital for ensuring the long-term success of agri-environment actions across diverse farming landscapes.
Cláudia Gonçalves