Agricultural Policy and Grasslands

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Agricultural Policy and Grasslands
Jaak Herodes Estonian Farmers Federation
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So far

• European Union Common Agricultural Policy has
  developed continuously during its history
• Half of the European Union's land is farmed
• This fact alone highlights the influence of
  farming on the EU's natural environment
• but so far CAP focused on agricultural income and
  production

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Agenda 2000

• CAP two pillars the market and income policy
  ('first pillar'), and the sustainable development
  of rural areas ('second pillar')
• increasingly aimed at heading off the risks of
  environmental degradation
• encouraging farmers to continue to play a
  positive role in the maintenance of the
  countryside and the environment by targeted rural
  development measures and by contributing to
  securing farming profitability in the different
  EU regions.

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Current CAP reform

• The 2003 CAP reform brings greater quality to
  environmental integration, with new or amended
  measures to promote the protection of the farmed
  environment in both pillars.
• But
• De-coupled payments how to manage
  grasslands/valuable landscapes now?
• What is the impact of support entitlements to
  grassland management, biodiversity and valuable
  landscapes?
• How important are (natural) grasslands?

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Grassland

• Multifunctional
• Income
• agricultural production
• tourism
• Non profitable purposes
• preservation of resources
• biodiversity
• Impact of agriculture on landscapes

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Estonia
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LFA in Estonia
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LFA

• In whole Estonia less-favoured areas are together
  2,259 thousand hectares (49,95 from state area).
  
• Forecasted supported area at 400 thousand ha.
• 2004 - 8323 applicant
• 297 452 ha

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Estonia

• For future
• At least 800 000 ha are maintained under CAP I
  pillar
• Possibility to expand maintenance of valuable
  landscapes and biodiversity under CAP II pillar
  (RDP)
• Purpose to maintain valuable landscapes and
  expand agricultural production - food and non-food

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For future discussion

• As there is a number of choices for the member
  states it is worth to analyze
• Purpose of landscapes (income/ environment) ?
• Best way to maintain valuable landscapes,
  biodiversity and manage grasslands?

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Thank You!