Summary

The intensification of agriculture is a major contributor to the loss of biodiversity and the extinction of many species, and between them, existing agri-environmental programmes and the private agricultural extension services are often not able to fully address the issue.

To address this gap in advisory services, the Fördergemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (FÖL) set up an advisory programme in cooperation with different authorities in Brandenburg. Through it, farmers can receive free advice on how to improve their nature conservation practices, while at the same time learning ‘peer-to-peer’ from a group of demonstration farms about new conservation ideas and options.

 

Results

The project has resulted in a comprehensive and widely accessible nature conservation advisory programme specific to the agricultural landscapes of Brandenburg.

A set of policy recommendations for improving the competence of nature conservation advisors in Brandenburg has also been developed.