Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

How to train advisors & farmers on managing semi-natural grasslands?

Semi-natural grasslands and grazed woodlands harbour the majority of EU farmland biodiversity and farmland carbon, and provide water catchment services. They have declined and are threatened by intensification and/or abandonment. Management and restoration are supported with funds from the Rural Development Programme (agri-environment-climate measures and non-productive investment) and other sources. Advisors and farmers should receive training in best management practice.

For conservation measures to be effective, each grassland parcel should have a management plan. Finland, for example, has required site-level management plans, made either by consultants or the farmers themselves, as a prerequisite to receiving public payments. In 2016, Latvia instituted obligatory training for farmers applying for or already receiving payment for semi-natural grasslands. As part of the training, participants each make a management plan for one grassland parcel on his/her farm.

To assist in developing such training, the project prepared a ready-made assignment for instructors. Instructors can freely adapt it to the particular circumstances of their country. The assignment consists of 8 h classroom, 8 h field visits (2 trips), 5 h independent group work including expert feedback and revision. A final student seminar is optional. On receiving the training, the participants should be familiar with basic principles, management options and support availability for semi-natural grasslands conservation and associated nature values. Skill acquisition includes recognizing and systematically describing semi-natural grassland qualities.

Source Project
HNV-Link High Nature Value Farming: Learning, Innovation and Knowledge
Ongoing | 2016-2019
Main funding source
Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
France
Project details

Project Keywords