Transcript Defining the HNV farming concept at EU and local levels Guy Beaufoy & Gwyn Jones EFNCP.

Defining the HNV farming concept at EU and
local levels
Guy Beaufoy
& Gwyn Jones
EFNCP
What is High Nature Value (HNV) farming?
 Farming that creates conditions of high
biodiversity (diversity of wild fauna and flora);
 and/or maintains particular wildlife species of
conservation concern.
What is High Nature Value (HNV) farming?
 The term “HNV farming” dates from 1993 -
Nature Conservation and New Directions in the
CAP
 This report found the common characteristic of
HNV farming to be a low intensity use of:
•
Livestock densities per ha.
•
Nutrient inputs (nitrogen)
•
Biocides
•
Land exploitation with “space for nature”
Identifying HNV farming at EU level
 In 2003 the European Environment Agency
began developing indicators and maps of HNV
farming (Andersen et al).
 Two main types were identified:
1) Low-intensity livestock systems using mainly
semi-natural vegetation.
2) Low-intensity arable and tree cropping systems
in a mosaic, with presence of semi-natural
elements
Low-intensity management
Livestock
Nitrogen
Biocides
HNV
Type 1
% of semi-natural
land cover
Grass, scrub
Trees
Field margins
Water bodies
Type 2
Diversity of
land cover
Crops
Fallows
Grass, scrub
Trees
Water bodies
Farmland with seminatural vegetation:
Type 1 HNV farmland
Type 1: semi-natural grazing land (Extremadura)
Natural values maintained by mountain grazing
Hay meadows
Black vulture
Cytisus purgans formations
Nardus grasslands
“Cambrionales”
Typcial mixed dryland landscape of Spanish interior (HNV type 2),
Type 1: semi-natural grazing (Western Isles)
Natura 2000 habitats:
 Wet and dry heathland
 Blanket bog
 Alpine and coastal grasslands
Type 2: low-intensity
crop mosaics with
semi-natural elements
Crex crex
Crucial actors for nature conservation
How is HNV farming important for nature
conservation?
 Many of Europe’s most valued natural areas are
maintained by HNV farming.
 HNV farming is thus essential to the success of
policies such as Natura 2000.
 HNV farming is also crucial to biodiversity
outside protected areas.
 It is thus essential to achieving the EU’s aim of
halting biodiversity decline by 2010.
How secure is the future for HNV farming?
 HNV farming is widespread in marginal areas where
physical conditions have prevented intensification.
 But it faces fundamental problems of economic
survival due to various factors:
 The marginal physical conditions and location.
 Specific labour requirements (e.g. shepherding).
 Competition from other labour opportunities.
 Competing landuses, such as afforestation and
irrigation (CAP funded?).
 Increasing rules and regulations
What needs to be done?
 Need a common understanding of:
•
what is HNV farming?
•
how to identify it?
•
and how to target policies to support it?
 EU study looking at these questions
 But Member States need to take up the
challenge for themselves.
 Local case-studies should be helpful in building
a national picture.
Ensuring sustainability of HNV farms
 For basic economic viability, farms need
support payments (for example, Less Favoured
Areas payments).
 For long-term sustainability, farms need
investment aid and advice.
 Farming practices can be made better for the
environment through agri-environment
payments.
 Policies for rural development, nature
conservation, forestry, food labelling, should all
take account of HNV farming.
Conclusions
 Supporting HNV farming is not just a legal
obligation …
 For some countries it can also be seen as an
important resource for rural areas.
 HNV farming is an opportunity for combining
nature conservation with the maintenance of
employment and cultural values...
 And for the development of new economies,
such as “green” tourism.
So why this seminar?
 Get better understanding at European scale make sure the HNV farmland concept fits
Strandzha
 Make sure Bulgarian understanding of HNV
farmland is realistic for Bulgaria (especially if EU
model flawed)
 Reflect on links between ecological and socioeconomic processes in Strandzha HNV farmland
 Opportunity for different experts to examine
implications for policy needs in Strandzha