Nature-Rich Farmland Areas Need Greater Support,

 

un, european environment agencies warn

(Reissued as received.)

COPENHAGEN/DUBLIN, 29 April (UNEP) -- The European Union will not reach the goal of halting species loss by 2010 if it does not do more to prevent the decline of its most nature-rich areas of farmland, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned today.

High-nature value farmland -- usually characterized by low-intensity agriculture that allows wildlife to flourish -- is recognized as having a crucial role to play if the 2010 goal of stopping the loss of biodiversity is to be met.

Environment ministers from across Europe agreed last year to identify all high-nature value farmland by 2006.  They also committed themselves to support its economic and ecological viability by covering a substantial proportion with rural development measures by 2008.

A joint EEA/UNEP report to support the process estimates that high-nature value farmland covers 15-25 per cent of the European Union countryside, with the largest areas being found in eastern and southern Europe and northern Britain.  The situation outside the European Union is not known as data are not easy to obtain.

The report warns that high-nature value farmland is under severe pressure from two contrasting trends:  increasing intensity of agriculture in some areas and abandonment of farming in others.

With nature-protection sites accounting for less than one third of the European Union high-nature value farmland, its conservation depends largely on the rural development measures that can be taken under the Union’s common agricultural policy.

The most relevant of these are payments to support farmers in less favoured areas -- such as hilly or mountainous terrain -- and special environmental measures known as agri-environment schemes.

However, although less favoured areas and high-nature value farmland areas cover much of the same territory, actual spending on less favoured areas bears no relation to how much high nature value farmland a country has, the study finds.

Nor do agri-environment schemes appear to be well targeted: agri-environment expenditure in countries with a high share of high nature value farmland, especially in southern Europe, is relatively low.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, said:  "Current policy measures appear insufficient to prevent further decline in high-nature value farmland areas and reach the 2010 biodiversity target.  Consideration needs to be given to improving the geographical targeting of agricultural subsidies, especially of less favoured area support and agri-environment schemes."

"At the same time, a major effort is needed to fill gaps in data on the targeting and effectiveness of support measures, as well as on the distribution of habitats and species."

Frits Schlingemann, Director of UNEP’s regional office for Europe, added:  "Over recent decades, biodiversity on farmland across Europe has declined seriously.  Large-scale rationalization and intensification of agricultural production has taken its toll."

"With the common agricultural policy increasingly focused on non-trade concerns, and sustainability now a guiding principle, we hope this report will spur the policy debate and encourage countries and institutions to refine the high-nature value farmland concept and further focus their conservation efforts."

High-nature value farmland areas include habitats such as semi-natural grasslands, dehesas, montados, steppe areas, grazed uplands and alpine pastures and meadows.  Little precise information exists on how well these areas are conserved, but overall the population of bird species found on them, such as the great bustard, black grouse and corncrake, is declining.

Professor McGlade and Mr. Schlingemann launched the report, or "joint message", at a Dublin conference on the role of environmental information co-organized by the Irish Government and the EEA.

The report, High-nature value farmland:  Characteristics, trends and policy challenges, is available at http://reports.eea.eu.int/report_2004_1

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