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Good Practice - Project

Lessons from farmer uptake of CAP agri-environmental and climate measures in Belgium

Walloon farmers in Belgium benefited from a wide-ranging programme of rural development funding measures supporting agri-environment and climate actions.
  • CAP Implementation
    • - Programming period: 2014-2022
    Wallonia, Belgium
    - Programming period: 2014-2022
    Wallonia, Belgium

    General information

    RDP Priority
    • P4. Ecosystems management
    RDP Focus Area
    • 4A: Biodiversity restoration, preservation & enhancement
    • 4B: Water management
    • 4C: Soil erosion & soil management
    RDP Measure
    • M10: Agri-environment-climate
    Beneficiary type
    • Farmer / land manager

    Summary

    Agri-environment-climate measure (AECM) payments from the CAP are available in all EU countries as voluntary support options for farmers. AECMs can cover long-term environmental commitments (up to five years), preserving the rural environment, conserving biodiversity, tackling climate challenges and maintaining the countryside.

    This funding encourages farmers to implement practices that help improve the environment and the climate beyond what is required by legislation. AECM payments are designed to cover loss of earnings and costs related to their implementation.

    In Belgium’s Walloon region, a Rural Development Programme (RDP) budget for AECM of EUR 207.6 million was provided to help support, improve and conserve: hedges and wooded strips; Isolated trees, shrubs, bushes and groves, high-stemmed fruit trees; ponds; natural meadows; floodplains; high nature value meadows; grassy headlands and field margins; environmentally friendly crops; developed plots and strips; forage autonomy; agro-environmental action plans; and threatened local breeds.

    Results

    • Key results include a participation rate of 48% (6 071 producers) among Walloon producers in at least one AECM. 60% were involved in one or more basic method(s), 9% in one or more targeted method(s), and 31% in both types of method(s). This peak result for the RDP in 2022 compared with 58% in 2012 and 45% in 2017.
    • Between 2017 and 2022, the rise in participation rates reflected higher payments from 2018 and the introduction of new AECM variants for environmentally friendly crops in 2018 and 2019. Negative perceptions about the AECMs were noted as hindering higher participation rates.
    • At the end of AECM support in December 2022, the ‘Achievement Rates’ for each AECM provided useful evidence that informed new, simplified, and targeted CAP interventions for AECM payments during the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan (CSP).
    Bieley Rock at sunset (Wallonia, Liège, Belgium)
    Promoter

    Wallonia regional authority

    Funding

    RDP budget 207.96 million (EUR)
    EAFRD: 83.40 million (EUR)
    National/Regional: 124.56 million (EUR)

    Resources

    Botassart Wallonia Belgium Semois green mist

    Context

    AECMs are financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and are a longstanding component of the CAP. Member States have allocated a significant share of their CAP rural development budgets to AECM activities, e.g. around 23% of the total EAFRD budget for the period 2014-2020 was earmarked for AECM.

    AECM measures from the CAP have been available in all EU countries as voluntary support options for farmers. AECMs can cover long-term environmental commitments (up to five years), preserving the rural environment, conserving biodiversity, tackling climate challenges and maintaining the countryside.

    This funding encourages farmers to implement practices that help improve the environment and the climate beyond what is required by legislation. AECM payments are designed to cover compensatory loss of earnings and costs related to their implementation.

    In Belgium’s Walloon region, an RDP budget of EUR 207.6 million (co-financed 40% by the EU and 60% by Wallonia) was allocated to AECM for payments until 2025, with participation commitments concluded before 2023.

    Objectives

    Objectives were defined for each AECM covering meadows, crops, livestock, ecological network elements, and comprehensive whole-farm approaches. Targets were calculated and set for the AECM support to improve and conserve:

    • hedges and wooded strips; isolated trees, shrubs, bushes and groves, high-stemmed fruit trees;
    • ponds;
    • natural meadows;
    • floodplains;
    • high nature value meadows;
    • grassy headlands and field margins;
    • environmentally-friendly crops;
    • developed plots and strips;
    • forage autonomy;
    • agro-environmental action plans; and
    • threatened local breeds.

    Activities

    All the AECM actions were agreed upon by 31/12/2022. These had been separated into six ‘basic methods’ (with variants applied without conditions) as well as five ‘targeted methods’ (and their variants). The latter often involved technical assistance and advisory support to optimise the measure.

    All AECM actions, including payment rates and targets, are listed below.

    Elements of the ecological network

    • MB1a-Hedges and wooded strips – 25 €/200 m (annual) and 2022 target: 13 500 km
    • MB1b-Isolated trees, shrubs, bushes and groves, high-stemmed fruit trees – 25€/20 items (annual) and 2022 target: 155 000 trees
    • MB1c-Mares – 100 €/pond (annual) and 2022 target: 10 000 ponds

    Meadows

    • MB2-Natural meadows – 200 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 13 000 ha
    • MC3-Floodplains – 200 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 500 ha
    • MC4-High nature value meadows (two variants) – 450 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 13 200 ha

    Crops

    • MB5-Grassy headlands/field margins – 1 000 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 2 650 ha (2 200 km)
    • MB6-Environmentally friendly crops (six variations) – 240 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 250 ha
    • MC7-Developed plots – 1 200 €/ha (annual) and 2022 target: 1 000 ha
    • MC8-Developed strips (four variants) – 1 500 €/ha(annual) and 2022 target: 3 250 ha (2 150 km)

    Comprehensive approach at the operating level

    • MB9a-Forage autonomy, max. variant 1.4 UGB/ha of fodder – 120 €/ha of permanent meadow (annual) and 2022 target: 74 000 ha
    • MB9b-Forage autonomy, max. variant 1.8 UGB/ha of fodder – 60 €/ha of permanent meadow (annual) and 2022 target: 74 000 ha
    • MC10-Agro-environmental action plan – Variable and 2022 target: 20 000 ha

    Livestock

    • MB11-Threatened local breeds – 200 €/horse, 120 €/bovine, 30 €/sheep (annual) and 2022 target: 10 500 animals

    Main results

    • Key results include a 48% participation rate of Walloon producers during 2022 in at least one AECM (6 071 producers).
    • Among the participating producers, 60% were involved in one or more basic method(s), 9% in one or more targeted method(s) and 31% in both types of method(s).
    • This peak 2022 result for the RDP of 48% compared to 58% in 2012 and 45% in 2017.
    • Between 2017 and 2022, the rise in participation rates reflected higher payments from 2018 and the introduction of new variants for ‘Environmentally-friendly crops’ in 2018 and 2019. Negative perceptions about the AECMs were noted as hindering higher participation rates.

    At the end of the period for agreeing AECM support in December 2022, the overall ‘Achievement Rates’ for each AECM were recorded as follows: environmentally-friendly crops 355%; Developed plots 96%; grassy headlands and field margins 95%; High Nature Value meadows 90%; forage autonomy 88%; Endangered local breeds 85%; hedges and wooded strip 82%; trees, shrubs, bushes 55%; agro-environmental action plans 53%; ponds 35%; and flood-prone meadows 2%.

    These results informed new simplified and targeted CAP interventions with AECM payments for the 2023-2027 CSP period.

    Key lessons

    • AECM lessons learned from 2014-2020 in Wallonia were converted into the 2023-2027 Walloon CSP’s green architecture, which includes new AECM arrangements designed to complement eco-schemes and reinforce conditionality.
    • Such lessons led to CAP support shifting from multi-annual AECM funding to annual eco-scheme interventions for ponds, hedges and wooded strips, and trees, shrubs and bushes.
    • A new dedicated Soil AECM was introduced, with results-based payments to increase organic matter content. Other new AECM support was introduced for environmentally-friendly crops and standing cereals
    • The previous AECM for flood meadows was not continued.
    • An AECM merger was programmed between developed strips and plots.
    • Useful success factors included setting appropriate compensatory payments and using robust control systems to certify actions or results. Cartographic tools, in particular, need to be fit-for-purpose and properly stress-tested.
    • Participation rates vary notably between the AECMs.

    Contacts

    eew.dgo3@spw.wallonie.be